Long Time, No Sleep: Sleep in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a major impact globally. While sleep problems have increased during the pandemic, their impact on specific populations is less well known. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep and how it correlates with the feeling of isolation in individuals aged ≥ 50 years.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement conducted between June and August 2020. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to analyze the outcome "more or less trouble sleeping since the outbreak" and its main predictors.Results: The mean ± SD age of the participants was 71 ± 9 years. Since the outbreak, 29% reported a deterioration of their quality of sleep. Being male and older were found to be significant predictors of more sleep complaints (OR = 1.13; P = .004; CI, 1.04-1.23 and OR = 1.02; P = .000; CI, 1.02-1.03, respectively). Moreover, those who claimed that they often felt alone or more loneliness since the beginning of the outbreak also had more trouble sleeping (OR = 1.21; P = .002; CI, 1.07-1.37 and OR = 4.06; P = .000; CI, 2.75-5.99, respectively).Conclusions: Male sex, older age, and loneliness are associated with more sleeping difficulties since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can aid health authorities to address sleep issues in this vulnerable population more directly.

[The Impact of COVID-19 in Older People in Portugal: Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE)]. / O Impacto da COVID-19 na População Idosa em Portugal: Resultados do Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE).

INTRODUCTION: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, and Portugal reported its initial cases. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 on Portuguese individuals aged over 60 years old. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE 8: COVID-19 Survey). We selected a sample of 1080 noninstitutional Portuguese individuals aged ≥ 60 years. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 605 (56%) women and 475 (44%) men, with a mean age of 70 ± 9.1 years. In total, 80% of the participants experienced higher levels of anxiety, 73% felt more depressed and 30% experienced additional sleep problems comparedto the period before the pandemic. Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes or the two selected age groups (60 - 74 and over 75 years old) regarding the incidence of these changes. Only 23%, of those that were interviewed maintained their walking routines. In addition, only 8% of the participants continued visiting family members as frequently as before. While 8% of the participants were refused some form of medical treatment, 56% claimed that they experienced healthcare delays. However,only 15% of the participants reported that their health status worsened during the pandemic. DISCUSSION: The pandemic has had a significant impact on Portuguese individuals aged ≥ 60 years; which is in agreement with the findings of previous international studies. It changed the participants' routines and increased their anxiety and depression levels. Despite the deterioration of healthcare services, most participants did not experience worsening of their health status. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the elderly population, particularly regarding their mental health.

Introdução: Em março de 2020, a COVID-19 foi declarada pandemia pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e Portugal registou os seus primeiros casos. Este estudo visou determinar o impacto da COVID-19 na população portuguesa maior de 60 anos. Material e Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo observacional transversal que analisa várias variáveis de saúde, comportamentais, sociais e económicas. Utilizaram-se dados do projecto Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE 8: COVID-19 Survey), seleccionando uma amostra de 1080 portugueses não institucionalizados e maiores de 60 anos. Resultados: A amostra englobou 605 mulheres (56%) e 475 homens (44%), com idade média de 70 ± 9,1 anos. No total, 80% dos participantes notou aumento da ansiedade, 73% sentiu-se mais deprimido e 30% considerou que o seu sono piorou em relação ao período anterior à pandemia. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os sexos ou as duas faixas etárias analisadas (60 - 74 e ≥ 75 anos) quanto à incidência destas alterações. No respeitante a saídas de casa, apenas 23% dos entrevistados manteve os hábitos de passeio e 8% manteve as visitas a familiares no seu padrão habitual. Relativamente ao acesso a cuidados médicos, a 8% foi negado algum tratamento e 56% queixou-se do adiamento dos cuidados. Apenas 13% referiu um agravamento do seu estado de saúde durante a pandemia. Discussão: Este trabalho mostra que esta pandemia impactou a população portuguesa com mais de 60 anos, o que está em linha com o reportado noutros estudos internacionais. Os hábitos alteraram-se, e a ansiedade e depressão aumentaram. Apesar da deterioração dos cuidados de saúde, a maioria dos participantes não notou agravamento do seu estado de saúde. Conclusão: Em conclusão, a pandemia por COVID-19 teve um impacto significativo na população idosa particularmente no que concerne à sua saúde mental.