Prevalence and correlates of total sleep time among the older adults during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

Global burden of sleep disturbances among older adults and the disparities by geographical regions and pandemic periods

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among older adults. We aimed to evaluate sleep heath during COVID-19 pandemic and assess the differences among geographical regions and pandemic periods. We searched three databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science) to find articles up to March 12, 2023. We included observational studies that reported the prevalence of sleep disturbances among adults aged 60 years or older in any setting. Two researchers independently reviewed the literature and retrieved the data. We used Der Simonian-Laird random effects meta-analyses to pool the data, followed by subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression. A total of 64 studies with 181,224 older adults during the pandemic were included. The prevalence of poor sleep quality, short sleep duration, long sleep duration, and insomnia symptoms were 47.12% (95% CI: 25.97%, 68.27%), 40.81% (95% CI: 18.49%, 63.12%), 31.61% (95% CI: 24.83%, 38.38%), and 21.15% (95% CI: 15.30%, 27.00%), respectively. The prevalence of sleep problems reported by self-constructed items was 26.97% (95% CI: 20.73%, 33.22%). When compared to America (64.13%), Europe (20.23%) and the Western Pacific (21.31%) showed a lower prevalence of sleep problems (all P < 0.0001). The prevalence of worsened sleep problems was 27.88% (95% CI: 11.94%, 43.82%). Compared to 2020 (15.14%), it increased to 47.42% in 2021 (P < 0.05). Eight studies on sleep disturbances among 672 older COVID-19 patients were included. The prevalence of sleep problems and insomnia symptoms among older COVID-19 patients were 41.58% (95% CI: 21.97%, 61.20%) and 41.56% (95% CI: 28.11%, 58.02%), respectively. A significant burden related to poor sleep has been observed among older adults worldwide over the past three years, with variations across different regions and time periods. It is important to make more efforts in prevention and intervention to identify the risk factors, treatment, and rehabilitation of sleep disturbances for healthy aging.

Impact of insomnia on mental status among chronic disease patients during Covid-19 pandemic

Background

The Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) 2019 pandemic had a serious impact on the mental health of individuals globally. A lack of psychological well-being on the part of individuals with chronic diseases might increase the risk of developing symptoms such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of insomnia, depression, and anxiety among patients with chronic disease during the Covid-19 pandemic in Oman.

Methods

This is a web-based cross-sectional study conducted between June 2021 and September 2021. Insomnia was assessed by using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), while depression and anxiety were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

Of the 922 chronic disease patients who participated, 77% (n = 710) reported insomnia, while the mean score for the ISI was11.38 (SD 5.82). Depression and anxiety were prevalent among the participants with 47% and 63% respectively. The participants' mean with regard to the sleep duration items was 7.04 (SD = 1.59) hours per night, whereas the mean in terms of sleep latency was 38.18 minutes (SD = 31.81). Logistic regression analysis revealed that insomnia was positively associated with depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that chronic disease patients had a high prevalence of insomnia during the Covid-19 pandemic. Psychological support is recommended in order to help such patients reduce the level of insomnia. Furthermore, a routine assessment of levels of insomnia, depression and anxiety is essential, in order to help identify appropriate intervention and management measures.

Stigma toward people with COVID-19 among Bangladeshi older adults

The onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its overwhelming physical and mental health burden can result in stigmatization toward the disease and those affected. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of COVID-19-related stigma and its associated factors among older people in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,045 Bangladeshi older adults aged 60 years and above through telephone interviews in September 2021. The outcome was measured using an eight-point Stigma Scale, adapted to the Bengali language. Level of stigma was indicated by the cumulative score of the eight-items, ranging from 0 to 8, with a higher score indicating a higher level of stigma. On average, participants had stigmas on three of the eight items, and 62.6% had a high stigma score. The most prevalent stigmas were as follows: COVID-19 is a punishment from God (79.3%), patients with previous COVID-19 must be isolated (67.3%), and people infected with COVID-19 did not meet hygiene standards (63.9%). Participants who lived in rural areas (β: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.95) and who perceived needing additional care during the pandemic (β: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.60) had a higher average stigma score, whereas stigma scores were lower among unemployed/retired participants (β: -0.22, 95% CI: -0.45 to 0.00). The study findings suggest implementing interventions to raise awareness through appropriate health literacy interventions and mass media campaigns.