Dados do Trabalho

Título

Sleep Quality and Loneliness in Economically Disadvantaged Older Women: A Systematic Review

Introdução

Older women, especially those living in poverty, face multiple vulnerabilities.

Objetivo

Objective: to evaluate the association between sleep quality and social isolation in women aged ≥ 65 years living in poverty.

Métodos

A search was conducted in major databases using the descriptors: "poverty," "low-income population," and "sleep quality." Inclusion criteria adopted: studies involving women aged ≥ 65 years living in poverty, assessing sleep quality and loneliness. This study is part of a larger study entitled "SLEEP QUALITY IN WOMEN AGED ≥ 65 YEARS LIVING IN POVERTY - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW."

Resultados

This study comprised 3,231 older women, covering low-income populations. The results indicated a significant association between loneliness and poor sleep quality. Wu et al. (2019) conducted a study in a rural area of China and observed that loneliness in low-income older women was strongly associated with poor sleep quality, showing an odds ratio of 1.91 (95% CI 1.29-2.82). The study also revealed that loneliness was associated with a 30% increase in the prevalence of insomnia and frequent nocturnal awakenings. Kwok et al. (2020) found similar results in a sample involving older women from urban areas. They reported that loneliness was associated with a marked increase in the prevalence of poor sleep quality, with an odds ratio of 2.15 (95% CI 1.45-3.17). Additionally, the study showed that women who reported feelings of loneliness presented 40% more likely to suffer from chronic insomnia compared to those who did not feel lonely. Watanabe et al. (2020), in a study of 1,065 older women, also corroborated these findings, noting that loneliness was associated with poorer sleep quality and a 25% increase of insomnia compared to women who reported having adequate social support.

Conclusões

The association between loneliness and sleep disorders suggests the existence of a vicious cycle: loneliness can lead to psychological changes that impair sleep, and, in turn, compromised sleep quality predisposes individuals to feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially in contexts of economic vulnerability.

Palavras -chave

Poverty; low-income population; sleep quality.