Sleep quality and health-related quality of life in HIV-infected African-American women of childbearing age.

A descriptive, correlational design was used to examine the associations of sleep quality and stage of illness with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in HIV-infected African-American women. Participants were recruited from 12 health clinics and AIDS service organizations (ASO) in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The sample consisted of 144 African-American women who ranged in age from 20 to 48 years (m = 34.8, SD = 6.8). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were administered. Participants were categorized as good sleepers (PSQI global score < 7) or poor sleepers (PSQI global score > or = 7) using the median global sleep quality score. Differences in HRQOL between good and poor sleepers, as measured by the SF-36, were tested using MANOVA. Good sleepers scored significantly higher (p < 0.0001) for each SF-36 quality of life dimension and the mental and physical health summary scores. Multiple regression analysis indicated that sleep quality is associated with HRQOL, independent of the individual's stage of illness, more so with mental HRQOL than with physical HRQOL. The results suggest that treatment for poor sleep quality should be a primary concern for the treatment of HIV infection and a means for improving HRQOL.