Abstract
Background/Aims To investigate age, gender, and race-ethnic differences in prevalence of short duration of sleep, frequent problems with sleep, sleep medication use, and effort made to get enough sleep among adult Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Health Plan members.
Methods Analysis of pooled weighted self-report data from respondents aged 25–79 to the 2005 or 2008 KPNC Member Health Survey (17,473 women and 13,976 men).
Results
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Approximately 60% of adults usually get 7–8.5 hours sleep/day, 11% =9 hours, and 25% <6 hours. Young men and middle-aged men and women are most likely to get <7 hours and men =65 most likely to get = 9 hours.
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Across age groups, Blacks, Latino/as, and Filipino/as are significantly more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to get < 7 and < 6 hours sleep/day.
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Across age groups, women are significantly more likely than men to report frequent problems.
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In gender-specific multiple logistic regression models, chronic stress, financial stress, UI, chronic pain, and obesity (men only) increases risk for frequent sleep problems.
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Women with frequent sleep problems are significantly more likely than men to have used prescription/OTC sleep medication in past 12 months; among women, non- Hispanic Whites are significantly more likely than other race-ethnic groups to have used sleep medication.
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Approximately 70% of adults usually try to get enough sleep to feel well-rested. Adults <65 are significantly less likely to try than those =65, and among those <65, men are significantly less likely to try than women. Controlling for age, among women, non-Hispanic Whites are significantly more likely than other race-ethnic groups to try, with little race-ethnic variation among men.
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Adults who try to get enough sleep are significantly more likely than those who do not to get =7 hours sleep/day. Among those who usually try to get enough sleep, Blacks, Latinos, Filipinos, and Chinese are significantly less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to get =7 hours sleep/day, with Blacks and Filipinos least likely.
Conclusions Health plan members need education about the importance of getting enough sleep to maintain good health and functioning and talking with their PCP about frequent sleep problems.
