Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Outcomes among Iranian Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Sleep disorders have a significant impact on physical and mental health. This study was aimed to determine the effect of physical activity (PA) on sleep outcomes in older adults living in Birjand, Iran. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 1740 individuals, ≥60 years in urban and rural regions of Birjand. The Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam Physical Activity Questionnaire (LAPAQ), a sociodemographic and a sleep status questionnaire were used to collect data. Analyses of variance (ANOVA), univariate, multiple linear and logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. The average age of the participants was 69.73 ± 7.56 years. About 54.08% of participants had low physical activity. People with moderate to high physical activity had higher sleep quality, sleep satisfaction and sleep efficiency compared to inactive people (p < 0.05). Physical activity was also significantly inversely related to sleep duration. According to univariate linear regression model, both low and moderate to high physical activity were good predictors of sleep quality and sleep efficiency. Moderate to high physical activity predicted high sleep satisfaction and sleep duration in the participants (p < 0.05). The study findings showed that physical activity, particularly at moderate to high levels, resulted in higher quality, satisfaction and efficiency of sleep in older adults. The most influential factor on the relationship between physical activity and sleep was depressed mood.