Relationship Between Quality of Life and Sleep Quality in Resident and Nonresident Seniors in Shahroud City, Iran

Background: Poor quality of life (QOL) can affect sleep quality in seniors due to its wide impact on the daily functioning of individuals. The place of residence is also considered one of the important factors in the physical and mental health of seniors. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between QOL and sleep quality in resident and nonresident seniors in Shahroud City. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 232 nonresident and 78 resident seniors in Shahroud City, Iran, in 2019. The participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. Data collection tools included a demographic survey, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). After data collection, data analysis was performed using ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and independent t-test in SPSS version 19. Results: There was a significant relationship between QOL (dimensions and total score) and all sleep quality dimensions (P < 0.05) except for sleep efficiency (P = 0.214) and sleep disorder with mental dimension of QOL (P = 0.092). There was no significant difference in sleep quality between resident and nonresident seniors except for the variables of sleep duration and use of sleeping pills (P = 0.34). There was also a significant difference in the QOL of the seniors in terms of age (P < 0.001), sex (P = 0.021), marital status (P < 0.001), lifestyle (P < 0.001), education (P < 0.001), and income adequacy (P = 0.023). Conclusions: Considering the strong relationship between QOL and sleep quality, implementing interventions (such as proper nutrition education, hot showers, etc.) aimed at improving sleep quality can positively affect QOL. It is also suggested to consider individual effective factors (such as more family support) to improve QOL.