This study investigated the prevalence of sleep-related healthcare use and the factors associated with it among adults with different insomnia symptoms.
This was a population-based study with a cross-sectional design conducted in Hebei province, China.
Participants were community residents aged 18 years and above; a total of 21 376 valid questionnaires were analysed.
The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to evaluate participants’ insomnia symptoms. Variables such as sleep-related healthcare use, chronic disease, living alone and sociodemographics were assessed for all the participants.
Among adults with any insomnia symptoms, only 2.1% used sleep-related healthcare in the past year. Even for adults with insomnia, the prevalence of sleep-related healthcare use was only 6.2%. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of sleep-related healthcare use among adults with sleep induction, night awakenings, earlier awakening, sleep duration, sleep quality, daytime well-being, daytime functioning, and daytime sleepiness were 3.1%, 2.9%, 3.6%, 3.4%, 3.9%, 4.9%, 4.6% and 2.8%, respectively. The following factors were associated with sleep-related healthcare use among adults with insomnia: male (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.52, p<0.01), younger age (aOR=1.02, p<0.01), rural region (aOR=0.45, p<0.001) and AIS score (aOR=1.23, p<0.001). The same factors were also associated with sleep-related healthcare use among adults with insomnia symptoms.
The prevalence of sleep-related healthcare use among adults with insomnia symptoms is very low. Young men from rural areas with insomnia symptoms tend not to use healthcare. As such, it is necessary to form policies and strategies to promote sleep-related healthcare use among rural young men with insomnia symptoms.