Predictors of Persistent Sleep Problems Among Older Disaster Survivors: a Natural Experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Overview

Journal Sleep

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2018 May 5

PMID 29726979

Citations 17

Authors

Xiaoyu Li

Orfeu M Buxton

Hiroyuki Hikichi

Sebastien Haneuse

Jun Aida

Katsunori Kondo

Ichiro Kawachi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Study Objectives: To examine prospectively the associations of disaster experiences and social support with sleep problems in older adults.

Methods: Data came from a natural experiment caused by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. Participants in an ongoing prospective cohort (3547 Japanese individuals aged 65 years or older) were inadvertently exposed to the disaster due to their residential location (Iwanuma city) after the 2010 baseline survey. We conducted a follow-up survey in 2013 to inquire about disaster-related experiences and short sleep duration, sleep insufficiency, poor sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, and sleep medication use. Poisson regression models adjusted for baseline socio-demographic and lifestyle covariates.

Results: Financial hardship predicted increased risks of short sleep duration (relative risk [RR] = 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.03, 1.90]), sleep insufficiency (RR = 1.29; 95% CI [1.01, 1.66]), poor sleep quality (RR = 1.47; 95% CI [1.26, 1.70]), and insomnia symptoms (RR = 1.13; 95% CI [1.01, 1.28]). Home destruction predicted sleep medication use while health care disruption predicted poor sleep quality. Loss of close relatives or friends did not predict any sustained sleep problems. Additionally, having instrumental support reduced risks of all sleep problems while having emotional support reduced risk of poor sleep quality.

Conclusions: Approximately 2.5 years after the disaster, older survivors' sleep problems were more durably linked to material aspects of disaster damage than to loss of loved ones. Findings could inform targeted recovery efforts for groups with greatest need to promote older survivors' sleep health and overall well-being.

Citing Articles

Correlation Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep Hygiene in Adults Surviving the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes.

Karasu F, Polat F, Ayar D, Bakir E, Arpaci R Psychiatr Q. 2024; 95(4):697-710.

PMID: 39453522 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-024-10100-y.

Socially-supported sleep in older adults aged 50 and older: a concept analysis.

Huang Y, Fleury J Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1364639.

PMID: 38645458 PMC: 11027164. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1364639.

The Migrant-Local Difference in the Relationship Between Social Support, Sleep Disturbance, and Loneliness Among Older Adults in China: Cross-Sectional Study.

Pang M, Wang J, Zhao M, Chen R, Liu H, Xu X JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024; 10:e49253.

PMID: 38194253 PMC: 10806446. DOI: 10.2196/49253.

Behavioral activation is associated with post-disaster mental health: Secondary longitudinal analysis from a population-based study.

Pavlacic J, Ruggiero K, Andrews 3rd A, Price M, Rheingold A J Clin Psychol. 2023; 80(2):291-305.

PMID: 37851207 PMC: 10843073. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23610.

Longitudinal Associations Between Disaster Damage and Falls/Fear of Falling in Older Adults: 9-Year Follow-Up of Survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

Wang Y, Zhang C, Hikichi H, Kawachi I, Li X Innov Aging. 2023; 7(3):igad020.

PMID: 37056712 PMC: 10089294. DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igad020.

References

Zwiebach L, Rhodes J, Roemer L . Resource loss, resource gain, and mental health among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. J Trauma Stress. 2010; 23(6):751-8. PMC: 6666312. DOI: 10.1002/jts.20579. View

Matsumoto S, Yamaoka K, Inoue M, Muto S . Social ties may play a critical role in mitigating sleep difficulties in disaster-affected communities: a cross-sectional study in the Ishinomaki area, Japan. Sleep. 2014; 37(1):137-45. PMC: 3902873. DOI: 10.5665/sleep.3324. View

Podsakoff P, Mackenzie S, Lee J, Podsakoff N . Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003; 88(5):879-903. DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879. View

Tempesta D, Curcio G, De Gennaro L, Ferrara M . Long-term impact of earthquakes on sleep quality. PLoS One. 2013; 8(2):e55936. PMC: 3572187. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055936. View

Laugsand L, Vatten L, Platou C, Janszky I . Insomnia and the risk of acute myocardial infarction: a population study. Circulation. 2011; 124(19):2073-81. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.025858. View

Olson R, Crain T, Bodner T, King R, Hammer L, Klein L . A workplace intervention improves sleep: results from the randomized controlled Work, Family, and Health Study. Sleep Health. 2017; 1(1):55-65. PMC: 9019820. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2014.11.003. View

Stamatakis K, Kaplan G, Roberts R . Short sleep duration across income, education, and race/ethnic groups: population prevalence and growing disparities during 34 years of follow-up. Ann Epidemiol. 2007; 17(12):948-55. PMC: 2140008. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2007.07.096. View

Buxton O, Marcelli E . Short and long sleep are positively associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease among adults in the United States. Soc Sci Med. 2010; 71(5):1027-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.05.041. View

Suresh Kumar M, Murhekar M, Hutin Y, Subramanian T, Ramachandran V, Gupte M . Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in a coastal fishing village in Tamil Nadu, India, after the December 2004 tsunami. Am J Public Health. 2006; 97(1):99-101. PMC: 1716229. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.071167. View

10.

Cappuccio F, DElia L, Strazzullo P, Miller M . Quantity and quality of sleep and incidence of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 2009; 33(2):414-20. PMC: 2809295. DOI: 10.2337/dc09-1124. View

11.

Vgontzas A, Liao D, Bixler E, Chrousos G, Vela-Bueno A . Insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with a high risk for hypertension. Sleep. 2009; 32(4):491-7. PMC: 2663863. DOI: 10.1093/sleep/32.4.491. View

12.

Buxton O, Hopcia K, Sembajwe G, Porter J, Dennerlein J, Kenwood C . Relationship of sleep deficiency to perceived pain and functional limitations in hospital patient care workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2012; 54(7):851-8. PMC: 3720240. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31824e6913. View

13.

Matsumoto S, Yamaoka K, Inoue M, Inoue M, Muto S . Implications for Social Support on Prolonged Sleep Difficulties among a Disaster-Affected Population: Second Report from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Ishinomaki, Japan. PLoS One. 2015; 10(6):e0130615. PMC: 4472660. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130615. View

14.

Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert S, Alessi C, Bruni O, DonCarlos L . National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2017; 1(1):40-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010. View

15.

Palmer C, Harrison G, Hiorns R . Association between smoking and drinking and sleep duration. Ann Hum Biol. 1980; 7(2):103-7. DOI: 10.1080/03014468000004111. View

16.

Patel S, Hu F . Short sleep duration and weight gain: a systematic review. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008; 16(3):643-53. PMC: 2723045. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2007.118. View

17.

Usami M, Iwadare Y, Kodaira M, Watanabe K, Aoki M, Katsumi C . Sleep duration among children 8 months after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. PLoS One. 2013; 8(5):e65398. PMC: 3667796. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065398. View

18.

Smid G, van der Velden P, Lensvelt-Mulders G, Knipscheer J, Gersons B, Kleber R . Stress sensitization following a disaster: a prospective study. Psychol Med. 2011; 42(8):1675-86. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291711002765. View

19.

Ishigaki A, Higashi H, Sakamoto T, Shibahara S . The Great East-Japan Earthquake and devastating tsunami: an update and lessons from the past Great Earthquakes in Japan since 1923. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2013; 229(4):287-99. DOI: 10.1620/tjem.229.287. View

20.

Rubonis A, Bickman L . Psychological impairment in the wake of disaster: the disaster-psychopathology relationship. Psychol Bull. 1991; 109(3):384-99. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.109.3.384. View