Who Reports Insomnia? Relationships with Age, Sex, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Deprivation

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of self-reported insomnia symptoms among Mâori (indigenous people) and non-Mâori adults in the general population of New Zealand. To explore the possible links between insomnia symptoms and ethnicity, gender, age, employment status and socio-economic deprivation. DESIGN: Mail-out survey to a stratified random sample of 4,000 people aged 20 to 59 years, selected from the electoral roll. SETTING: Nationwide survey of New Zealand adults (72.5% response rate). PARTICIPANTS: The sample design aimed for equal numbers of Mâori and non-Mâori participants, men and women, and participants in each decade of age. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Population prevalence estimates indicated that self-reported insomnia symptoms and sleeping problems were higher among Mâori than non-Mâori. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified unemployment and socioeconomic deprivation as being strongly associated to all insomnia symptoms and to reporting a sleeping problem lasting more than 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic factors and ethnicity are significant independent predictors of reported insomnia symptoms. This finding has important implications for the provision of treatment services to those most in need.