Sleep disturbance, obesity, physical fitness and quality of life in older women: EXERNET study group

AbstractObjectives: To investigate the association between physical fitness, obesity, health related quality of life (HRQoL) and sleep disturbance in 463 community-dwelling older Spanish women (66–91 years of age).Study design: Cross-sectional study.Method: Sleep disturbance was assessed with the Jenkins Sleep Scale. Active and sedentary behaviors were recorded by standardized questionnaires. HRQoL was assessed with the EuroQoL-5D. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standardized techniques. Body fat was measured using bioelectrical impedance. Physical fitness was evaluated by a set of eight tests.Results: Sleep disturbance was reported by 45.1% of women, being associated with higher body mass index (p < 0.05) and waist circumference (p < 0.01). Presence of insomnia was inversely associated with physical fitness. Women in the upper tertile of fitness index had 92.0% lower risk of sleep disturbance as compared to the lower tertile (p = 0.08), while women in the highest tertile of upper body str...