Background: Insomnia is a major public health concern affecting about
10% of the general population in its chronic form. Furthermore,
epidemiological surveys demonstrate that poor sleep and sleep
dissatisfaction are even more frequent problems (10-48%) in the
community. This is the first report on the prevalence of insomnia in
Greece, a southeastern European country which differs in several
socio-cultural and climatic aspects from the rest of European Community
members. Data obtained from a national household survey (n = 1005) were
used to assess the relationship between insomnia symptoms and a variety
of sociodemographic variables, life habits, and health-related factors.
Methods: A self-administered questionnaire with questions pertaining to
general health and related issues was given to the participants. The
Short Form-36 (Mental Health subscale), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS)
as a measure of insomnia-related symptoms, and the International
Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were also used for the
assessment.
Results: The prevalence of insomnia in the total sample was 25.3% (n =
254); insomnia was more frequent in women than men (30.7% vs. 19.5%)
and increased with age. Multiple regression analysis revealed a
significant association of insomnia with low socio-economical status and
educational level, physical inactivity, existence of a chronic physical
or mental disease and increased number of hospitalizations in the
previous year.
Conclusions: The present study confirms most findings reported from
other developed countries around the world regarding the high prevalence
of insomnia problems in the general population and their association
with several sociodemographic and health-related predisposing factors.
These results further indicate the need for more active interventions on
the part of physicians who should suspect and specifically ask about
such symptoms
