Frailty and Diminished Human Relationships Are Associated with Poor Sleep Quality in Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sleep quality, frailty, and human relationships in Japanese older adults (aged 65 years and above, excluding those certified as requiring long-term care). This cross-sectional study used a questionnaire survey to gather demographic information, data on frequency of conversation and conversation partners, and employed the following validated instruments: Kihon Checklist (KCL), a Japanese instrument used to determine the care needs and frailty of older adults; the Dysphagia Risk Assessment for Community-Dwelling Elderly (DRACE) scale; Japanese versions of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J); the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15-J); and the University of California Los Angeles Scale (UCLA-J), an instrument to assess loneliness in older adults. The 500 respondents were divided into two groups based on sleep quality (PSQI-J): low sleep quality group (n = 167, 33.4%) and high sleep quality group (n = 333, 66.6%). Our analyses showed that the low sleep quality group had a KCL score of 5.55 ± 2.47, which indicated frailty. Binomial logistic regression analysis identified age, number of diseases under treatment, DRACE, GDS-15-J, and conversation frequency and discussion partner for important matters as factors (p < 0.05) associated with poor sleep quality. These factors could help enhance the detection of frailty and predictability of caregiving needs.

Association between dysphagia risk and sleep quality in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study

“…In this study, the presence of dysphagia risk in older individuals led to poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality in older individuals is not only associated with cognitive impairment [ 38 ] but also with deterioration in self-rated health status [ 39 ], decreased physical capabilities [ 40 ], and frailty [ 12 ]. Dysphagia is also significantly correlated with skeletal muscle strength in community-dwelling older individuals [ 41 ].…”

“…Although the effect of dysphagia on sleep quality remains largely unexplored, the potential influence of impaired swallowing function on sleep quality should be considered. Poor sleep quality has been associated with frailty [ 12 ], and poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration might be associated with Alzheimer's disease [ 13 ] in older populations. Furthermore, some older adults may be unaware of their poor sleep quality [ 14 ].…”

“…It is anticipated that gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between dysphagia risk and sleep quality may result in novel screening tools aimed at promoting safety and an improved quality-of-life for community-dwelling older adults. However, there is a notable absence of comprehensive studies that have thoroughly examined the relationship between dysphagia risk and sleep health on a large scale [ 12 ]. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore the association between dysphagia risk and sleep health in community-dwelling older adults and assess its relationship with sleep quality components.…”

Mediating roles of activities of daily living and depression on the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life

“…Furthermore, a reciprocal relationship between loneliness and sleep quality is acknowledged. Studies suggest that inadequate sleep quality in China and Japan may heighten feelings of loneliness among older adults 21 , 22 . Conversely, a meta-analysis revealed that loneliness in older adults can heighten the risk of diminished sleep quality 23 .…”