Sleep quality among elderly high-altitude dwellers in Ladakh

Ryota Sakamoto; Kiyohito Okumiya; Tsering Norboo; Norboo Tsering; Takayoshi Yamaguchi; Mitsuhiro Nose; Shinya Takeda; Toshihiro Tsukihara; Motonao Ishikawa; Shun Nakajima; Taizo Wada; Michiko Fujisawa; Hissei Imai; Yasuko Ishimoto; Yumi Kimura; Eriko Fukutomi; Wenling Chen; Kuniaki Otsuka; Kozo Matsubayashi

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.043

Sleep quality among elderly high-altitude dwellers in Ladakh

Psychiatry Res. 2017 Mar:249:51-57. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.043. Epub 2016 Dec 29.

Authors

Ryota Sakamoto¹, Kiyohito Okumiya², Tsering Norboo³, Norboo Tsering³, Takayoshi Yamaguchi⁴, Mitsuhiro Nose⁵, Shinya Takeda⁶, Toshihiro Tsukihara⁷, Motonao Ishikawa⁸, Shun Nakajima⁸, Taizo Wada⁵, Michiko Fujisawa⁵, Hissei Imai⁹, Yasuko Ishimoto⁵, Yumi Kimura⁵, Eriko Fukutomi⁹, Wenling Chen⁹, Kuniaki Otsuka⁸, Kozo Matsubayashi¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: sakamoto65@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
² Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan.
³ Ladakh Institute of Prevention, Leh, India.
⁴ National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁵ Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
⁶ Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
⁷ Faculty of Education and Regional Studies, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
⁸ Department of Medicine, Medical Center East, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁹ Department of Field Medicine, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
¹⁰ Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Department of Field Medicine, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

PMID: 28063399
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.043

Abstract

It has been already known that people who temporarily stay at high altitude may develop insomnia as a symptom of acute mountain sickness. However, much less is known about people living at high altitude. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of high altitude environment on sleep quality for the elderly who have been living at high altitude for their whole lives. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Domkhar valley at altitudes of 2800-4200m, Ladakh. Sleep quality was assessed using Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Measurement items include body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, hemoglobin, timed Up and Go test, oxygen saturation during wakefulness, respiratory function test, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and so on. The participants were Ladakhi older adults aged 60 years or over (n=112) in Domkhar valley. The participation rate was 65.1% (male: female=47:65, mean age: 71.3 years and 67.9 years, respectively). The prevalence of the high score of ISI (8 or more) was 15.2% (17 out of 112). Altitude of residence was significantly correlated with ISI. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that OKS and altitude of residence were significantly related with ISI.

Keywords: High altitude; Knee arthritis; Sleep quality.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Altitude Sickness / complications
Altitude Sickness / epidemiology
Altitude Sickness / physiopathology*
Altitude*
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Hemoglobins
Humans
India / epidemiology
Male
Prevalence
Sleep / physiology*
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / epidemiology
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / etiology
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / physiopathology*

Substances

Hemoglobins