Sleep duration and health status self-assessment (SF-36) in the elderly: a population-based study (ISA-Camp 2008)

The aim of this study was to determine the association between sleep duration and health status among the elderly. A population-based study was carried out with 1,418 elderly individuals using data from the health survey of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, Brazil USA-Camp 2008). Linear regression models were used to determine associations between the physical and mental components and subscales of the SF-36 and sleep duration. Elderly male individuals who slept 6 hours obtained lower mean SF-36 scores for the vitality and mental health scales and the mental component summary than those who slept for seven to eight hours. All scales were negatively associated with sleep duration 10 hours, except bodily pain. Scores for the mental health, vitality and role-emotional subscales were lower among women who slept for less than five hours. Mental health was negatively associated with 10 hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation and excessive sleep were associated with poorer health status, with differences between genders, principally in the long duration sleep categories.