Online Program

279893
Longitudinal trends of the healthcare-seeking prevalence and incidence of insomnia in Taiwan: An 8-year nationally representative study


Monday, November 4, 2013

Ya-Wen Hsu, Department of Hospital and Health Care Administration, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan
Chung-Han Ho, Department of Hospital and Health Care Administration, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy, Tainan, Taiwan
Objectives: We used insurance claims of a nationally representative population-based cohort to assess the longitudinal healthcare-seeking prevalence and incidence of insomnia. Methods: Participants were identified from National Health Insurance enrollees in Taiwan during 2002~2009. Individuals with insomnia were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnostic and procedure codes of 780.52, 307.41, and 307.42. Results: In 2009, the prevalence of insomnia was 5.4% for women and 3.0% for men; the incidence of insomnia was 1.6% for women and 1.3% for men. Patients who were female [odds ratio (OR)]=1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.79~1.86), older (50~64 years: OR=23.25, 95% CI=21.07~25.64; ≥65 years: OR=24.70, 95% CI=22.40~27.24), and in the middle-socioeconomic status group (OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.16~1.21) were more likely to have insomnia. An inverse U-shaped female/male ratio trend for the insomnia prevalence was found, and this ratio reached a peak around the menopausal transitional period. Conclusions: The persistence of healthcare-seeking behaviors with insomnia was more common in females. Our findings underscore the need to initiate treatment at an early stage as opposed to waiting for the spontaneous resolution of insomnia. Future research needs to identify causes of the persistence of insomnia and develop proper interventions to reduce its rising prevalence. More-active approaches toward preventive strategies for insomnia are needed, especially for women who are at higher risk of insomnia.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe longitudinal trends of prevalence and incidence of insomnia in a nationally representative population. Assess female/male ratio trend for the insomnia prevalence and incidence across 8 years. Evaluate factors related to the odds of having insomnia.

Keyword(s): Public Health Research, Taiwan Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple grants focusing on health behavior and with an focus on sleep and insomnia. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for improving unhealthy sleep behaviors to reduce chronic disease risk.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.