More hospitalizations, home health care, nursing home use with increasing insomnia symptoms
WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Those 55 years and older with insomnia incur greater utilization of health services, according to a study published online May 9 in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Christopher N. Kaufmann, M.H.S., from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and colleagues studied 14,355 adults aged 55 and older enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study (2006 and 2008). Insomnia symptoms were rated as zero, one, or two or more.
The researchers found that those reporting one symptom of insomnia had a greater odds of hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.28), use of home health care (aOR, 1.29), and any health service use (aOR, 1.28), compared to those with no insomnia symptoms. Even after controlling for demographics there was a greater odds of hospitalization (aOR, 1.71), use of home health care (aOR, 1.64), nursing home use (aOR, 1.45), and any health service use (aOR, 1.72) among those with two or more insomnia symptoms. After adjusting for clinical covariates, these associations weakened, and in some cases were no longer statistically significant.
"In this study, insomnia symptoms experienced by middle-aged and older adults were associated with greater future use of costly health services," the authors write.
Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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