Yeonsu Song1,2,3, Gwendolyn C Carlson4, Sarah Kate McGowan2, Constance H Fung2,3, Karen R Josephson2, Michael N Mitchell2, Susan M McCurry5, Edmond Teng6, Michael R Irwin7, Cathy A Alessi2,3, Jennifer L Martin2,3. 1. School of Nursing University of California , Los Angeles, California. 2. Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System , North Hills, California. 3. David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California , Los Angeles, California. 4. Health Services Research & Development Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System , North Hills, California. 5. Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington. 6. School of Medicine, Stanford University , Palo Alto, California. 7. Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California , Los Angeles, California.
Abstract
Objective/Background: Sleep problems are common in women and caregiving for an adult is a common role among women. However, the effects of caregiving on sleep and related daytime impairment are poorly understood among women veterans. This study compared stress-related sleep disturbances, insomnia symptoms, and sleep-related daytime impairment between women veterans who were caregivers and those who did not have a caregiving role. Participants: Of 12,225 women veterans who received care in one Veterans Administration Healthcare System, 1,457 completed data on a postal survey (mean age = 51.7 ± 15.9 years). Two hundred forty three (17%) respondents (mean age 53.8 ± 12.7 years) were caregivers for an adult, predominantly for a parent, providing transportation. Methods: The survey included items that addressed insomnia symptoms, total sleep time, sleep-related daytime impairments, caregiving characteristics, self-rated health, pain, stress, body mass index, and demographic information. Results: In adjusted analyses, caregiver status did not directly predict sleep complaints alone. However, in multiple regression analyses, being a caregiver (odds ratio 1.7, p = .001) significantly predicted stress-related sleep disturbance, even after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other characteristics. Furthermore, being a caregiver (β = 3.9, p = .031) significantly predicted more symptoms of sleep-related daytime impairment after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other factors. Conclusions: Compared to noncaregivers, women veterans who were caregivers for an adult were more likely to report stress causing poor sleep, and more daytime impairment due to poor sleep. These findings suggest the need to target stress and other factors when addressing sleep disturbance among women veterans who are caregivers.
Objective/Background: Sleep problems are common in women and caregiving for an adult is a common role among women. However, the effects of caregiving on sleep and related daytime impairment are poorly understood among women veterans. This study compared stress-related sleep disturbances, insomnia symptoms, and sleep-related daytime impairment between women veterans who were caregivers and those who did not have a caregiving role. Participants: Of 12,225 women veterans who received care in one Veterans Administration Healthcare System, 1,457 completed data on a postal survey (mean age = 51.7 ± 15.9 years). Two hundred forty three (17%) respondents (mean age 53.8 ± 12.7 years) were caregivers for an adult, predominantly for a parent, providing transportation. Methods: The survey included items that addressed insomnia symptoms, total sleep time, sleep-related daytime impairments, caregiving characteristics, self-rated health, pain, stress, body mass index, and demographic information. Results: In adjusted analyses, caregiver status did not directly predict sleep complaints alone. However, in multiple regression analyses, being a caregiver (odds ratio 1.7, p = .001) significantly predicted stress-related sleep disturbance, even after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other characteristics. Furthermore, being a caregiver (β = 3.9, p = .031) significantly predicted more symptoms of sleep-related daytime impairment after adjusting for age, pain, self-rated health, and other factors. Conclusions: Compared to noncaregivers, women veterans who were caregivers for an adult were more likely to report stress causing poor sleep, and more daytime impairment due to poor sleep. These findings suggest the need to target stress and other factors when addressing sleep disturbance among women veterans who are caregivers.
Authors: Christine L McKibbin; Sonia Ancoli-Israel; Joel Dimsdale; Christopher Archuleta; Roland von Kanel; Paul Mills; Thomas L Patterson; Igor Grant Journal: Sleep Date: 2005-10 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Earl S Ford; Chaoyang Li; Anne G Wheaton; Daniel P Chapman; Geraldine S Perry; Janet B Croft Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2013-10-15 Impact factor: 5.002
Authors: Yin Liu; Elizabeth B Fauth; Daniel J M Fleming; Rebecca Lorenz Journal: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci Date: 2022-08-11 Impact factor: 4.942
Authors: Marcela D Blinka; Adam P Spira; Orla C Sheehan; Tom Cidav; J David Rhodes; Virginia J Howard; David L Roth Journal: J Appl Gerontol Date: 2022-03-26