scholarly journals Psychological Pathways Linking Parent-Child Relations to Objective and Subjective Sleep Among Older Adults

Author(s):  
Haowei Wang ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Jeffrey A Burr ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract Objectives This study investigated whether older adults with better relationships with their adult children have better subjective and objective sleep quality than older adults with less positive relationships with their children. We also examined whether depressive symptoms and loneliness mediated the association between parent-child relationships and sleep among older adults. Methods Data were used from the second wave of the National Social life, Health, and Aging Project, in which 548 respondents (age 62–90) participated in the sleep survey to measure their actigraph sleep activity for three consecutive days. Respondents also reported sleep quality (i.e., sleep duration and insomnia symptoms), contact frequency, and emotional closeness with their children. Results Results from structural equation modeling showed that greater emotional closeness with children was directly associated with better objective sleep characteristics (i.e., sleep fragmentation and amount of sleep). Also, more frequent contact with children was directly related to fewer insomnia symptoms among older adults. Moreover, emotional closeness with children was indirectly linked to insomnia symptoms via depressive symptoms among older adults. Discussion This study provided evidence for psychological pathways linking parent-child relationships and older parents’ subjective sleep. The findings have implications for health professionals and family counselors who help people with sleep problems and relationship difficulties.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 579-579
Author(s):  
Haowei Wang ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Jeffrey Burr ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract This study investigated whether older adults’ relationships with their children were associated with their self-reported subjective sleep quality and actigraphy-measured objective sleep characteristics, as well as whether depressive symptoms and loneliness mediated the association between these parent-child relationships and sleep. Data were taken from the second wave of the National Social life, Health, and Aging Project, in which 569 respondents (age 57-85) participated in the sleep module, along with the social network module that provided relationship information for participants and their children. Results from structural equation modeling showed that (1) parents’ closeness with children was associated with better objective sleep (i.e., fragmentation of sleep and percent sleep), (2) more frequent contact with children was related to better subjective sleep quality, (3) depressive symptoms and loneliness were associated with worse subjective sleep quality, and (4) less closeness with children were related to worse subjective sleep quality via older adults’ depressive symptoms. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Sleep, Circadian Rhythms and Aging Interest Group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1602-1613
Author(s):  
Haowei Wang ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Jeffrey A. Burr ◽  
Bei Wu

Objectives: This study examined the associations between parent–child relationships and sleep difficulty among older parents in the context of Chinese multiple-children and one-child families. Methods: Using the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, this study analyzed older parents’ ( N = 8,450) reports of sleep quality and relationships with each of children. Results: Results from multivariate logistic regression models showed that living alone, greater variations in children’s financial transfers and emotional closeness, and more instrumental support from children were associated with higher risks of sleep difficulty for Chinese older parents with multiple children. The maximum levels of financial transfers and emotional closeness from all children were related to lower risks of sleep difficulty for parents from multiple-children families, while greater instrumental support from children was associated with higher risks of sleep difficulty for parents from one-child families. Discussion: Findings have implications for support programs for Chinese aging population with sleep problems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-315
Author(s):  
Phenphop Phansuea ◽  
Sookjaroen Tangwongchai ◽  
Thanapoom Rattananupong ◽  
Vitool Lohsoonthorn ◽  
Somrat Lertmaharit

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a Qigong program on older adults in the Thai community suffering from mild to moderate depression.Design/methodology/approachA randomized controlled trial study was conducted in a public health service (PHS) center setting. Sixty-six older adults aged 60–90 years with mild to moderate depressive symptoms measured by the Thai Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS: scores 13–24) were recruited and randomly allocated into two groups. The subjective sleep quality was assessed using the Thai version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (TPSQI). The Qigong program group was given 12 weeks of Qigong training including three sessions per week, while the control group followed normal PHS activities (singing and praying). The outcome measure was the change in the TGDS from baseline to 12 weeks.FindingsParticipants in the Qigong program group had a significantly improved TPSQI global score (p < 0.001), subjective sleep quality (p < 0.001), and sleep latency (p < 0.05) after 12 weeks of intervention, while those in the control group showed no significant difference in sleep quality. Compared with the control group, the Qigong program group reported significantly better sleep quality throughout the 12-week period. The prevalence of poor sleep quality in this population was 82 percent.Originality/valueThis study confirmed that the Qigong program could improve sleep quality in older adults with mild to moderate depressive symptoms as the Qigong program conferred more significant improvements than the usual program.


Author(s):  
Kentaro Matsui ◽  
Takuya Yoshiike ◽  
Kentaro Nagao ◽  
Tomohiro Utsumi ◽  
Ayumi Tsuru ◽  
...  

This study aimed to determine whether both subjective sleep quality and sleep duration are directly associated with quality of life (QOL), as well as indirectly associated with QOL through insomnia symptoms. Individuals aged 20–69 years without mental illness (n = 9305) were enrolled in this web-based cross-sectional survey. The Short Form-8 was used to assess physical and mental QOL. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and extracted items related to subjective sleep quality and sleep duration. Insomnia symptoms were also extracted from the PSQI. The hypothesized models were tested using structural equation modeling. Worse sleep quality, but not shorter sleep duration, was related to worse physical QOL. Both worse sleep quality and shorter sleep duration were related to worse mental QOL. Insomnia symptoms mediated these relationships. Subgroup analyses revealed a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and physical/mental QOL. However, the relationship between sleep quality and physical/mental QOL was consistent regardless of sleep duration. The results suggest that subjective sleep quality has a more coherent association with QOL than subjective sleep duration. Because of its high feasibility, a questionnaire on overall sleep quality could be a useful indicator in future epidemiological studies of strategies for improving QOL.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S672-S672
Author(s):  
Haowei Wang ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Jeffrey Burr ◽  
Bei Wu

Abstract Relationships with adult children play an important role in older adults’ well-being. However, little is known about the association between parent-child relations and aging parents’ sleep quality, which is an emerging health issue that is closely related to individuals’ physical and mental well-being in later life. With the largest aging population, China has experienced rapid changes of family structure and traditional norms regarding parent-child ties. This study focused on different dimensions of parent-child relationships (i.e., upward/downward financial and instrumental support, emotional closeness) in Chinese aging families. This study examined the association between parent-child relationships and older parents’ sleep quality, comparing one-child and multiple-children Chinese families. Utilizing the 2014 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging and Social Survey, we analyze data from 8,450 respondents (aged 60+) who had at least one living child. Descriptive analysis showed that parents with multiple children engaged in more intense financial exchanges, less frequent instrumental support, and lower levels of emotional closeness with their adult children compared to their counterparts with only one child. Logistic regression models revealed that older parents who received more instrumental support were more likely to report sleep difficulty in both one-child and multiple-children families. For parents with multiple children, the overall level of financial transfers from children was negatively associated with having sleep difficulties, while the variability of financial transfers across multiple children was positively associated with having sleep difficulty. Findings highlight the importance of considering family dynamics in studying sleep quality among Chinese older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Lin Li ◽  
Qian Yu ◽  
Wenrui Zhao ◽  
Fabian Herold ◽  
Boris Cheval ◽  
...  

Objectives: the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) level and inhibitory control performance and then to determine whether this association was mediated by multiple sleep parameters (i.e., subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep disturbance). Methods: 180 healthy university students (age: 20.15 ± 1.92 years) from the East China Normal University were recruited for the present study. PA level, sleep parameters, and inhibitory control performance were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), and a Stroop test, respectively. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: A higher level of PA was linked to better cognitive performance. Furthermore, higher subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency were associated with better inhibitory control performance. The mediation analysis revealed that subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency mediated the relationship between PA level and inhibitory control performance. Conclusion: our results are in accordance with the literature and buttress the idea that a healthy lifestyle that involves a relatively high level of regular PA and adequate sleep patterns is beneficial for cognition (e.g., inhibitory control performance). Furthermore, our study adds to the literature that sleep quality and sleep efficiency mediates the relationship between PA and inhibitory control performance, expanding our knowledge in the field of exercise cognition.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Mary Horne ◽  
Ray Norbury

Increasing evidence suggests that eveningness is associated with increased risk for depression. Eveningness, however, is also associated with poor sleep quality and the unique role of eveningness in depressive symptomatology remains to be elucidated. The goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the inter-relationships between eveningness, subjective sleep quality and depressive symptoms in healthy participants free of current or previous depression and sleep disorder. Here, 167 healthy participants (mean age 24.16, 129/38 females/males) completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Bootstrap mediation analysis for a simple mediation model including rMEQ, PSQI and CES-D was applied. Eveningness was associated with increased depressive symptoms and mediation analysis showed that this relationship was partly mediated by sleep quality. Our results suggest that indicators of depression observed in evening-type individuals cannot be attributed exclusively to disturbed sleep. We suggest that interventions that target both sleep quality and dysfunctionl cognitive styles would be optimal to promote well-being in evening-type individuals.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyungmi Chung ◽  
Seoyoung Kim ◽  
Eun Lee ◽  
Jin Young Park

BACKGROUND As an evidence-based psychotherapy for treating insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which helps people with sleep problems to change their unhelpful sleep-related beliefs and habits, has been well-established in older adults. Recently, the utilization of mobile CBT-I apps has been getting attention from mental health professionals and researchers; however, whether mobile CBT-I apps are usable among older users has yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to explore the relationships between subjective sleep quality and subjective memory complaints and depressive symptoms; to explore the relationship between perceived difficulty in mobile app use and usability of the mobile phone–based self-help CBT-I app, named MIND MORE, in urban community-dwelling Korean older adults; to compare changes in subjective sleep quality from pre-intervention to post-intervention, during which they used the mobile app over a 1-week intervention period; and evaluate adherence to the app. METHODS During the 2-hour training program delivered on 1 day titled “Overcoming insomnia without medication: How to use the ‘MIND MORE’ mobile app for systematic self-management of insomnia” (pre-intervention), 41 attendants were asked to gain hands-on experience with the app facilitated by therapists and volunteer workers. They were then asked to complete questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, subjective evaluation of mental health status (ie, depression, memory loss and impairment, and sleep problems), and app usability. For the 1-week home-based self-help CBT-I using the app (post-intervention), 9 of the 41 program attendants, who had already signed up for the pre-intervention, were guided to complete the given questionnaires on subjective evaluation of sleep quality after the 1-week intervention, specifically 8 days after the training program ended. RESULTS Due to missing data, 40 of 41 attendants were included in the data analysis. The main findings of this study were as follows. First, poor subjective sleep quality was associated with higher ratings of depressive symptoms (40/40; ρ=.60, <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and memory complaints (40/40; ρ=.46, <i>P</i>=.003) at baseline. Second, significant improvements in subjective sleep quality from pre-intervention to post-intervention were observed in the older adults who used the MIND MORE app only for the 1-week intervention period (9/9; <i>t</i><sub>8</sub>=3.74, <i>P</i>=.006). Third, apart from the program attendants who did not have a smartphone (2/40) or withdrew from their MIND MORE membership (3/40), those who attended the 1-day sleep education program adhered to the app from at least 2 weeks (13/35, 37%) to 8 weeks (2/35, 6%) without any further contact. CONCLUSIONS This study provides empirical evidence that the newly developed MIND MORE app not only is usable among older users but also could improve subjective sleep quality after a 1-week self-help intervention period.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Nikki L. Hill ◽  
Sakshi Bhargava ◽  
Emily Bratlee-Whitaker ◽  
Jennifer R. Turner ◽  
Monique J. Brown ◽  
...  

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be an early indicator of cognitive impairment, but depressive symptoms can confound this relationship. Associations may be influenced by differences between individuals (i.e., between-persons) or how each individual changes in their experiences over time (i.e., within-persons). Objective: We examined depressive symptoms as a mediator of the between- and within-person associations of SCD and objective memory in older adults. Methods: Coordinated analyses were conducted across four datasets drawn from large longitudinal studies. Samples (range: n = 1,889 to n = 15,841) included participants 65 years of age or older with no dementia at baseline. We used multilevel structural equation modeling to examine the mediation of SCD and objective memory through depressive symptoms, as well as direct relationships among SCD, objective memory, and depressive symptoms. Results: Older adults who were more likely to report SCD had lower objective memory on average (between-person associations), and depressive symptoms partially mediated this relationship in three of four datasets. However, changes in depressive symptoms did not mediate the relationship between reports of SCD and declines in objective memory in three of four datasets (within-person associations). Conclusion: Individual differences in depressive symptoms, and not changes in an individual’s depressive symptoms over time, partially explain the link between SCD and objective memory. Older adults with SCD and depressive symptoms may be at greater risk for poor cognitive outcomes. Future research should explore how perceived changes in memory affect other aspects of psychological well-being, and how these relationships influence cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease risk.


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