Prospective associations between different categories of physical activity and insomnia in older adults

This 10-year follow-up study examined the associations between different categories of physical activity and insomnia among Taiwanese older adults aged 65 years and older. Data were collected in 1999 (n=1810) and 2009 (n=1128) by face-to-face interviews. Physical activity was evaluated with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Totals for each category of activity were divided by the mean into low (Lo) and high (Hi) groups. A score greater than 5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to define insomnia. The results showed that leisure-time activity was a significant predictor of incident insomnia. The risk of incident insomnia was increased in the Lo-Lo group (AOR: 9.96, 95% CI=2.25-44.01),Hi-Lo (AOR: 8.73, 95% CI=1.90-40.18), and Lo-Hi group (AOR: 5.58, 95% CI=1.12-27.72) when compared to the Hi-Hi group. This study suggests that remaining at high levels of leisure-time activity reduces the risk of subsequent insomnia in older adults.