Association between sleep health and intrinsic capacity among older adults in Taiwan.

Although the association between poor sleep quality and frailty has been previously reported, the relationship between sleep health and intrinsic capacity (IC) remains largely unknown. We aimed to examine the association between sleep health and IC among older adults. This was a cross-sectional study, and 1268 eligible participants completed a questionnaire collecting information on demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, sleep health, and IC. Sleep health was measured by the RU-SATED V2.0 scale. High, moderate, and low levels of IC were defined using the Integrated Care for Older People Screening Tool for Taiwanese. The ordinal logistic regression model estimated the odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Low IC was significantly associated with age of 80 years or above, female, currently unmarried, uneducated, currently not working, financially dependent, and having emotional disorders. A one-point increase in sleep health was significantly associated with a 9% reduction in the odds of poor IC. An increase in daytime alertness was related to the greatest reduction in poor IC (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.52-0.79). In addition, the subitems sleep regularity (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60-0.99), sleep timing (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99), and sleep duration (aOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96) were associated with a reduced OR of poor IC but with marginal statistical significance. Our findings showed that sleep health across multiple dimensions is related to IC, particularly daytime alertness in older adults. We suggest developing interventions to improve sleep health and prevent IC decline, which is crucial in causing poor health outcomes.

Functional status associated with postural dizziness, but not postural hypotension, in older adults: a community-based study.

BACKGROUND: Functional status, postural dizziness (PD), and postural hypotension (PH) were important issues in older adults. Only one study on the relationship for the three of them in female was without adjusting some important associated factors. This study was intended to investigate the association of PD and PH with functional status in older people of both genders. METHODS: Based on a stratified randomized cluster sampling, 1361 subjects ≥ 65 years in the community were recruited from Tainan City, Taiwan, from 2000 to 2001. PH was defined as a decrease in systolic/diastolic blood pressure of ≥ 20/10 mm Hg after 1 or 2 min of standing. PD was defined by a positive response to dizziness-like symptoms after standing up from a supine position. Functional status included the activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). RESULTS: After adjusting other variables, ADL disability (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.35-2.51) and IADL disability (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.21-2.17) were associated with PD, but not PH. In male and female subgroups, ADL disability (male OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.08-2.67; female OR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.26-3.07) was associated with PD. In male, IADL disability was associated with PD (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.36-3.95). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired functional status, shown using ADLs or IADLs, was positively associated with PD, but not PH in older adults ≥ 65 years. Clinically, it may be important to evaluate PD in older adults with ADL or IADL disability.

Associations between psychological responses and quality of life at early and late time of quarantine among residents of a collective quarantine facility in central Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Few countries required people living in collective facilities to undergo quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could lead to more psychological effects than quarantine at home or hotels. This study assessed the changes in depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QOL) among residents of a collective quarantine facility in central Taiwan. METHODS: Between April and November 2020, 660 collective quarantine facility residents participated in the survey conducted on the first and last days of the 14-day quarantine period. Questionnaires of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and WHO quality of life (WHOQOL)-BREF were used to measure depression and anxiety symptoms, and QOL, respectively. Linear regression model with generalization estimation equation method was for estimating the differences in depression, anxiety, and QOL between two surveys and to test the changes of associations between them over time. RESULTS: PHQ-9 and WHOQOL-BREF scores showed no significant changes, but GAD-7 score decreased during quarantine (p = 0.011, Cohen's d = -0.11). Both PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were negatively associated with overall and domain-specific WHOQOL-BREF scores on both the first and last days of quarantine. Such associations did not significantly vary with time, except for the association between PHQ-9 and environmental domain WHOQOL-BREF score, being stronger on the first day than on the last day of quarantine (p = 0.041, η2 = 0.0021). CONCLUSION: A significant decrease in anxiety among quarantined individuals over a 14-day quarantine period was found. While depression was negatively associated with overall QOL, the strength of association between depression and environmental domain QOL decreased over the period.

Body-Weight Gain in Women During Smoking Cessation Is a Sex-Specific Predictor of 6-Month Abstinence: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Smoking behavior differs between the sexes. Weight control is one of the main reasons leading to tobacco abuse in women but not in men. Studies on the predictive factors of cessation failure between sexes are scarce. This study is aim to investigate whether there are sex differences in the effect of weight gain on smoking cessation rate. Methods: Participants in the smoking-cessation program at a Medical Center in Taiwan between 2018 and 2019 were included. Details of age, sex, comorbidities, depression screening, nicotine dependence, body weight, and cessation medications of the participants were collected. The participants were classified based on their sex, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for sensitivity analysis after stratifying the participants according to their weight loss (weight loss ≥ 1.5 kg and weight loss ≥ 3.0 kg). Results: A total of 1,475 participants were included. The body-weight gain in women was associated with failed abstinence (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 3.10, 95% CI: 1.10-9.04). In contrast, body-weight gain in men was associated with successful 6-month prolonged abstinence (adjusted OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61-0.98). The adjusted ORs for any body-weight loss, body-weight loss ≥1.5 kg, and body-weight loss ≥3.0 kg were 0.28 (95% CI: 0.09-0.88), 0.14 (95% CI: 0.03-0.55), and 0.03 (95% CI: 0.01-0.42), respectively. Conclusion: Body-weight gain in women during a hospital-based smoking-cessation program is associated with abstinence failure. Further multicenter studies, including participants of different races and cultural backgrounds, are warranted.

Relationship between Kidney Stone Disease and Arterial Stiffness in a Taiwanese Population.

Previous studies examining the association between kidney stone disease (KSD) and arterial stiffness have been limited. Both age and gender have been found to have an impact on KSD, but their influence on the relationship between KSD and increased arterial stiffness is unclear. This study included 6694 subjects from October 2006 to August 2009. The diagnosis of kidney stone was based on the results of ultrasonographic examination. Increased arterial stiffness was defined as right-sided brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) ≥ 14 m/s. Associations between KSD and increased arterial stiffness were analyzed using multiple logistic regression models. KSD was positively related to increased arterial stiffness in both male and female groups (males: odds ratio [OR], 1.306; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.035-1.649; females: OR, 1.585; 95% CI, 1.038-2.419) after adjusting for confounding factors. Subgroup analysis by age group (<50 and ≥50 years) showed a significant positive relationship only in the groups ≥ 50 years for both genders (males: OR, 1.546; 95% CI, 1.111-2.151; females: OR, 1.783; 95% CI, 1.042-3.054), but not in the groups < 50 years. In conclusion, KSD is associated with a higher risk of increased arterial stiffness in individuals aged ≥ 50 years, but not in those aged < 50 years for both genders.

The association of sleep duration and sleep quality with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a Taiwanese population.

OBJECTIVE: The association of sleep duration/quality with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is inconclusive. Several important covariates were not adjusted concomitantly in some studies, and the severity of NAFLD was not considered. Furthermore, the gender impact of sleep duration or sleep quality on NAFLD remains unclear. We thus aimed to examine the association of sleep duration and quality with NAFLD by gender in a Taiwanese population. METHODS: A total of 6663 subjects aged 18 years or more were enrolled. The severity of NAFLD was divided into mild, moderate, and severe degrees based on ultrasound findings. The sleep duration was classified into three groups: short (<6h), normal (6-8h), and long (>8h). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality, and poor sleep quality was defined as a global PSQI score greater than 5. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, multinomial logistic regression showed that poor sleep quality was negatively associated with both mild and moderate-to-severe NAFLD in males, but sleep duration was not independently related to NAFLD. In females, sleep condition was not related to NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality but not sleep duration was associated with a lower risk of not only moderate to severe but also mild NAFLD in males. In females, the association of sleep quality and duration with the risk of NAFLD was insignificant.