The path model based on senescent sleep model for sleep in community-dwelling older adults

Purpose: This study was conducted to test the model for sleep in community-dwelling older adults. The hypothetical model based on a senescent sleep model was constructed using the multiple influencing factors of sleep and associated adverse outcomes of changes in sleep in the older adults. Methods: Data were collected from 203 community-dwelling older adults living in Korea, and analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results: Increased age and multiple comorbidities were associated with decreased physical activities. Decreased physical activities were associated with smaller social networks, and smaller social networks were associated with higher level of loneliness. Multiple comorbidities, decreased physical activities, larger social networks, and higher level of loneliness were associated with maladaptive sleep hygiene. Decreased physical activities, higher level loneliness, and shorter actual sleep duration were associated with worse sleep quality. Smaller social networks and shorter actual sleep duration were associated with lower cognitive functions. Smaller social networks, higher loneliness, and worse sleep quality were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the sleep improvement interventions not only with physical perspectives but psychosocial ones for older adults may improve depressive symptoms as well as sleep quality.