Sleep disturbances and their correlates in elderly Japanese American men residing in Hawaii

Background. Elderly people frequently report the presence of chronically di sturbed sleep. However, most data are derived from predominantly Caucasian populations. The current study is an investigation of the prevalence and co rrelates of sleep disturbances in a cohort of elderly Japanese American men residing in Hawaii. The importance of this population lies in its represen tation of an ethnic group living in a culture different from their ancestry . Methods. This study is a cross-sectional cohort analysis of data pertaining to sleep disturbances and their potential correlates from 3,845 elderly Ja panese American men residing in Hawaii (mean age. 78 years; range, 71-93 ye ars) who participated in the fourth survey of the Honolulu Heart Program (1 991-1994), which is the baseline exam for the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. in formation collected included an extensive survey of medication use, medical history, and assessments of physical and mental function, quality of life, and sleep. Results. The prevalence of insomnia (DIMS) was 32.6%, a rate similar to tha t reported in predominantly Caucasian populations. Depression, benzodiazepi ne use, and several chronic health problems were the most important factors associated with DIMS. In contrast, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) had a prevalence of 8.9%, a rate lower than that found in elderly Caucasian pop ulations but close to that reported among native Japanese. Important factor s related to EDS were symptoms of nocturnal respiratory disturbance, depres sion, perception of adverse quality of life. Parkinson's disease, and digit alis use. Conclusions. Elderly Japanese men are less likely than elderly Caucasian me n to report excessive daytime sleepiness. However, their insomnia rates are similar.