PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors of sleep disturbance among community dwelling adults in Korea.
METHODS
Data were collected from nine hundred fifty nine adults dwelling in a metropolitan city in Korea. Subjects were older than 45 years, did not take medication for sleep problems on a regular basis, and did not work at night. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to collect data about sleep disturbance. Sociodemographic, life style, and health related factors were included as risk factors. Chi square test and logistic stepwise regression were used to identify the risk factors.
RESULTS
The prevalence of sleep disturbance was 13.1%. The significant risk factors were being female, age, number of toilet use at night, perceived health, and pain. Risk factors were somewhat different by gender. Emotional and job status were the risk factors only for men and menopausal status were for women.
CONCLUSION
Prevalence of sleep disturbance in community dwelling adults in Korea was not greater than those dwelling in other countries. Females, older adults, the number of toilet use at night, perceived health, and pain were the most important risk factors for sleep disturbances. Gender was a factor in reported sleep disturbances. It might be useful to investigate the factors that contribute to the number of toilet use at night as this might have some underlying factors that could be corrected.