The relationship between sleep quality and quality of life in older adults

Assessing the elders’ quality of life (QOL) and its affecting factors such as sleep quality, is a useful method for detecting their health and determining the efficacy of delivered health care. This study aimed to evaluate the association between QOL and sleep quality in elderly people. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 elderly people in Kashan in 2013. Data was collected using a three part questionnaire including: demographics, the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ5D) questionnaire and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16. The QOL was moderate and poor in more than a fifth of the elderly. The highest mean score of the QOL was in the area of self-care, and the lowest mean score of QOL was in the area of pain and discomfort. Moreover, the sleep quality was poor in 27.8% of the elderly. The Spearman correlation coefficient showed a significant reverse correlation between the PSQI scores and QOL scores in elderly people (p= 0.001, r=-0.489). This study showed the elderly with higher PSQI scores had lower levels of QOL scores. It seems that lower levels of sleep quality can decrease the elders’ QOL. Then, training the elderly people on the sleep quality may lead them to a higher level of QOL.