Citation

Peltzer K, Phaswana-Mafuya N. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017; 14(7): e14070811.

Affiliation

Department of Social Work, University of Limpopo, Sovenga 0727, South Africa. nphaswanamafuya@hsrc.ac.za.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph14070811

PMID

28753944

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the association between visual impairment and low vision and sleep duration and poor sleep quality in a national sample of older adults in South Africa. A national population-based cross-sectional Study of Global Ageing and Adults Health (SAGE) wave 1 was conducted in 2008 with a sample of 3840 individuals aged 50 years or older in South Africa. The interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, sleep duration, quality, visual impairment, and vision.

RESULTS indicate that 10.0% of the sample reported short sleep duration (≤5 h), 46.6% long sleep (≥9 h), 9.3% poor sleep quality, 8.4% self-reported and visual impairment (near and/or far vision); and 43.2% measured low vision (near and/or far vision) (0.01-0.25 decimal) and 7.5% low vision (0.01-0.125 decimal). In fully adjusted logistic regression models, self-reported visual impairment was associated with short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, separately and together. Low vision was only associated with long sleep duration and poor sleep quality in unadjusted models. Self-reported visual impairment was related to both short sleep duration and poor sleep quality. Population data on sleep patterns may want to include visual impairment measures.

Language: en

Keywords

South Africa; Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health; low vision; sleep duration; sleep quality; visual impairment