ABSTRACT
Insomnia is a common problem in the elderly population. Poor sleep quality is associated with decreased memory and concentration, increased risk of falls, cognitive decline, and higher rate of mortality. Inadequate sleep hygiene such as irregular sleep schedules, use of stimulants, and daytime naps may predispose to insomnia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia among community dwelling elderly in Alexandria and to assess some of the risk factors and comorbid conditions related to insomnia. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 380 elderly people taken from different clubs in Alexandria using a predesigned structured interview questionnaire. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, and personal and sleeping habits were collected. The Insomnia Severity Index was used to assess insomnia and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was used to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. One-third [33.4%] of the elderly suffered from insomnia. On logistic regression, the most independent factors that were significantly associated with insomnia were number of chronic diseases [odds ratio [OR] = 7.25 for having >5 diseases], being female [OR = 2.37], anxiety [OR=1.91], watching television in bed before sleeping [OR=1.90], depression [OR=1.74], nocturia [OR=1.13], and daily sunlight exposure [OR=0.57]. Insomnia is a common problem among the elderly in Alexandria. Female sex, chronic diseases, mental health problems, and bad sleep hygiene practice increase the risk for insomnia. Improving knowledge among the elderly about the prevalence and risk factors of insomnia could help the development of effective public health prevention and intervention programs for better sleep quality
ABSTRACT
The term intelligence, like nutrition, is a general one and both are difficult to define. However it could be measured in term of intelligence quotient [I.Q.]. Environmental factors are assumed to play a major role in modifying the I.Q. Thus for predication of intilligence environmental factors should be assessed. The main objective of the study was: 1- To measure the I.Q. among preparatory school pupils and to correlate this with their scholastic achievement. 2- To study the effect of environmental factors upon both the I.Q. and the scholastic achievement. The study samples included and 10 top grade pupils 10 low grade pupils from the first preparatory class from 8 preparatory schools in Alexandria chosen randomly. Thus, totally the study included 80 female pupils and 80 male pupils. Their age ranged from eleven years to thirteen years and ten months. The Wechsler intelligence scale for children was used to measure the I.Q. of the pupils. The candidates were interviewed using a questionnaire designed to cover the biological, socio-economic, and medical backgrounds. The majority of the high grade pupils have an I.Q. of 100-120, while none of the low grade pupils has an I.Q. of 100 or more. Generally speaking, it was clear that socio-economic factors including parents' education and occupation and crowding index have an effect on the level of I.Q. of the pupils. Meanwhile, the biological factors including the family size and birth order also proved to have positive effect on the pupil's I.Q. level