Determining Sleep Quality and its Associated Factors in Patients with Lower Limb Amputation

Objective: This study aims to evaluate sleep quality in male patients with lower limb amputation (LLA) and to identify factors that may contribute to sleep disturbance. Material and Methods: This study includes a total of 35 patients with ILA and 35 healthy controls. The demographic data of the patients were recorded, the level of amputation-related pain of the patients was assessed by visual analogue scale, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Furthermore, the emotional state of the patients was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: The patients had significantly higher scores in the subscores, excluding sleep duration, and total scores of PSQI in comparison with the controls. The BAI (p<0.01) and BDI scores (p<0.05) were correlated with PSQI total score in the patients. The multivariate regression analyses indicated that the anxiety state and age were the most significant factors to predict the sleep quality (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our study has revealed that there is impairment in the sleep quality of the patients with LLA compared with that of controls and that age and emotional state are related to the sleep quality. Therefore, in the elderly and in those patients with impaired emotional state, multifaceted treatment approaches are required to resolve sleep disorders. However, there is a requirement for further studies that are to be conducted with larger series of patients demonstrating the reasons for sleep impairment and its effects on the general health.