Are different typologies of sedentary behavior associated with history of sleep problems in community-dwelling elderly?

Alterations in sleep are common in older persons, and some risk factors may aggravate this condition. Understanding the association between sedentary behavior and history of sleep problems can assist the elaboration of intervention programs. The study aimed to verify the association between typologies of sedentary behavior and history of sleep problems in community-dwelling older Brazilians. A cross-sectional study was performed with data from 43,554 older persons participating in the Brazilian National Health Survey (2019). Typologies of sedentary behavior were assessed by: (1) time watching television; (2) leisure-time inactivity; and (3) total inactivity (TV + leisure-time inactivity). Sedentary behavior was categorized as < 3, 3-6, and > 6 hours/day. The outcome was history of sleep problems (difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently at night, or sleeping more than usual) assessed by self-report in the last 15 days. Associations were verified with multivariate logistic regression. Older persons that spent more 6 hours/day watching TV had 13% higher odds (OR = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.02; 1.26) of reporting sleep problems. For total sedentary behavior, older persons that were inactive 3-6 hours and more than 6 hours/day showed 13% (OR = 1.13; 95%CI: 1.04; 1.22) and 11% (OR = 1.11; 95%CI: 1.01; 1.23) higher odds of sleep problems, respectively. Older persons in the sample that reported more than 6 hours a day watching TV and > 3 hours in total sedentary behavior had higher odds of sleep problems. The findings call attention to the need to reduce sedentary behavior in the elderly.