The Association between Sleep Problems, Sleep Medication Use, and Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study 2010
Table 1
Characteristics of community-dwelling older adults by reported sleep problems and sleep medication use and falls in the US, 2010.
Variable
Total (%)
Fallers
Nonfallers
Sleep problems, %
Sleep medication use, %
Sleep problems, %
Sleep medication use, %
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Total
9843
1698
1849
888
2659
2362
3934
1140
5156
Age (years)
65–74
5112 (55.5)
47.8
51.1
47.5
50.2
55.8
60.7
56.4
59.4
75–84
3505 (32.3)
36.5
33.5
36.7
34.3
33.1
29.5
32.5
30.5
>85
1226 (12.2)
15.7
15.4
15.8
15.5
11.1
9.8
11.1
10.1
Sex
Male
4195 (43.7)
38.3
42.7
30.9
43.9
42.9
46.9
35.8
47.6
Female
5648 (56.3)
61.7
57.3
69.1
56.1
57.1
53.1
64.2
52.4
Race
Caucasian
8207 (89.9)
91.8
91.7
94.8
90.8
89.9
88.2
94.1
87.6
Others
1636 (10.1)
8.2
8.3
5.2
9.2
10.1
11.8
5.9
12.4
Marital status
Married
5594 (54.9)
48.2
51.9
51.1
49.8
54.3
59.5
56.0
57.9
Others
4249 (45.1)
51.8
48.1
48.9
50.2
45.7
40.5
44.0
42.1
Education
No education
66 (0.4)
0.5
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.7
0.2
0.2
0.5
<High school
2329 (19.9)
24.5
18.4
21.4
21.2
21.6
17.7
16.5
19.8
High school
3448 (35.4)
32.6
38.2
34.8
35.8
35.3
35.3
34.0
35.5
>High school
4000 (44.3)
42.4
43.1
43.4
42.6
42.5
46.8
49.3
44.2
Smoking
Current smoker
846 (9.4)
9.8
8.2
8.3
9.2
10.4
9.2
8.0
10.1
Former smoker
4769 (48.4)
49.9
48.6
50.7
48.7
49.7
46.8
46.8
48.1
Nonsmoker
4228 (42.2)
40.3
43.2
41.0
42.1
39.9
44.0
45.2
41.8
Alcohol
Current drinker
4698 (50.8)
45.6
48.5
43.4
48.4
50.3
54.4
53.3
52.8
Nondrinker
5145 (49.2)
54.4
51.5
56.6
51.6
49.7
45.6
46.7
47.2
Self-reported health
E/VG/G
7076 (74.5)
54.7
72.9
55.8
67.1
71.4
85.2
74.9
81.3
Fair
2022 (18.6)
28.6
20.7
26.8
23.7
21.3
11.9
18.1
14.8
Bad
745 (6.9)
16.7
6.4
17.4
9.2
7.3
2.8
7.0
3.9
Number of comorbidities
0
661 (7.6)
2.8
5.4
2.6
4.7
5.9
11.7
4.6
10.7
1-2
4730 (49.4)
36.3
47.8
35.2
44.7
48.7
56.1
51.7
53.7
3-4
3753 (36.2)
46.5
38.5
47.7
40.5
39.1
29.1
38.8
31.4
5 or more
699 (6.8)
14.4
8.3
14.5
10.1
6.3
3.1
4.9
4.2
ADL limitations
None
7964 (82.4)
64.2
77.5
63.8
73.6
84.0
91.5
87.0
89.1
1-2
1330 (12.6)
24.1
16.4
23.9
18.8
11.4
6.6
8.6
8.3
3–5
549 (5.0)
11.7
6.1
12.3
7.6
4.6
1.9
4.4
2.6
IADL limitations
None
8070 (83.4)
69.1
78.7
68.5
76.0
85.3
90.6
84.8
89.5
1-2
1254 (12.1)
21.4
15.3
21.8
17.0
11.7
7.0
11.7
8.0
3–5
519 (4.5)
9.5
6.0
9.7
7.0
3.0
2.4
3.5
2.5
Mobility limitations
None
4137 (44.3)
24.7
39.5
26.1
34.6
40.8
56.8
40.7
53.2
1-2
3485 (34.6)
35.2
35.8
34.0
36.0
38.2
31.7
39.9
32.8
3–5
2221 (21.1)
40.1
24.7
39.9
29.4
21.0
11.5
19.4
14.0
Self-reported eyesight
E/VG/G/fair
9161 (93.8)
87.6
92.8
88.1
91.1
94.2
96.6
94.6
95.9
Bad/legally blind
682 (6.2)
12.4
7.2
11.9
8.9
5.8
3.4
5.4
4.1
Incontinence
Yes
2806 (28.6)
45.3
30.0
43.1
35.3
31.2
19.4
33.4
21.6
No
7037 (71.4)
54.7
70.0
56.9
64.7
68.8
80.6
66.6
78.4
Note. Data source: 2010 HRS (RAND HRS data file and 2010 HRS core physical health file). Results are reported in weighted percentages. Chi-test value < 0.05; < 0.0001. Fallers = participants who reported having a fall at least once in the previous two years. Sleep problems = participants who have trouble “most of the time” in any of sleep problems: “trouble falling asleep,” “trouble with waking up during the night,” and “trouble with waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep again,” or “rarely or never” on sleep problem: “trouble feeling rested when waking up in the morning.” Sleep medication use = participants who have reported taking any medications or using other treatments to help sleep. ADL = activities of daily living; IADL = instrumental activities of daily living; E/VG/G = excellent/very good/good.
