TY - JOUR
T1 - Sleep Habits, Quality of Life and Psychosocial Aspects in the Older Age
T2 - Before and During COVID-19
AU - Almondes, Katie Moraes de
AU - Castro, Eleni de Araujo Sales
AU - Paiva, Teresa
N1 -
Funding Information:
This study was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Almondes, Castro and Paiva.
PY - 2022/3/24
Y1 - 2022/3/24
N2 - Aim: This study aimed to describe sleep habits, quality of life and psychosocial aspects in older people and analyze associated differences considering the time before COVID-19 pandemic and during its first wave in Portugal. Methods: Online survey used for data collection received answers from 914 elderly (age range 65 – 90y), from April to August 2020. Results: Symptoms of self-perception of depression, anxiety, irritability and economic problems were not prominent in the elderly, except for worries concerning uncertainty about the future. There was no difference in sleep duration before and during the pandemic, although there was a worsening of some aspects related to sleep, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, awakening quality, sleep latency and nocturnal awakenings. Gender comparisons showed a higher vulnerability in women. Some morbidities got worse during the pandemic among the elderly, such as Insomnia, Headaches, Depression, Tinnitus, among others. Conclusion: Even though our data suggest that the pandemic did not have a great impact on quality of life, sleep quality and psychosocial aspects in the elderly, they were still affected by the worsening of their health conditions, including sleep and morbidities. Some behaviors may act as protective factors in this population, such as walking and keeping contact with others, as well as other aspects like financial stability, high level of education and family support, as they can help them to cope better with difficulties.
AB - Aim: This study aimed to describe sleep habits, quality of life and psychosocial aspects in older people and analyze associated differences considering the time before COVID-19 pandemic and during its first wave in Portugal. Methods: Online survey used for data collection received answers from 914 elderly (age range 65 – 90y), from April to August 2020. Results: Symptoms of self-perception of depression, anxiety, irritability and economic problems were not prominent in the elderly, except for worries concerning uncertainty about the future. There was no difference in sleep duration before and during the pandemic, although there was a worsening of some aspects related to sleep, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, awakening quality, sleep latency and nocturnal awakenings. Gender comparisons showed a higher vulnerability in women. Some morbidities got worse during the pandemic among the elderly, such as Insomnia, Headaches, Depression, Tinnitus, among others. Conclusion: Even though our data suggest that the pandemic did not have a great impact on quality of life, sleep quality and psychosocial aspects in the elderly, they were still affected by the worsening of their health conditions, including sleep and morbidities. Some behaviors may act as protective factors in this population, such as walking and keeping contact with others, as well as other aspects like financial stability, high level of education and family support, as they can help them to cope better with difficulties.
KW - COVID-19
KW - mental health
KW - older people
KW - quality of life
KW - sleep disorders
KW - sleep habits
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128286671&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnins.2022.694894
DO - 10.3389/fnins.2022.694894
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85128286671
SN - 1662-4548
VL - 16
JO - Frontiers in Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Neuroscience
M1 - 694894
ER -