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Background This study estimates the duration of sleep and its relationships with clinical correlates in a community sample of elderly individuals in Korea. Methods A total of 1924 individuals aged 65 and over were interviewed in Korea. Sleep durations were classified into five categories: 5.00 h or less, 6.00 h per day, 7.00 h per day, 8.00 h per day, and 9.00 h or more per day. Sleep disturbance was classified into four sleep complaints: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, and non-restorative sleep. The Mini- Mental Status Examination, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and questionnaires about the presence of cardiovascular disease were employed. Results The most frequent self-reported sleep duration was 7.00 h. The mean sleep duration was 6.46 h. Female subjects, subjects between the ages of 75 and 79, and subjects with current depression were associated with sleeping for 6.00 h or less or 9.00 h or more. Subjects who lived alone and those with cardiovascular disease were associated with sleeping for 5.00 h or less. Subjects aged 80 and over, formally educated subjects, current smokers, and subjects with cognitive dysfunction were associated with sleeping for 9.00 h or more. Sleep disturbances according to sleep duration has a U-shaped distribution. We found that all sleep disturbances were significantly related to sleep durations of 6.00 h or less compared to sleep durations of 7.00 h. We also found that non-restorative sleep was significantly related to sleep durations of 8.00 h or more compared to sleep durations of 7.00 h. Conclusion A relatively high prevalence of short or long sleep duration was identified. Various sociodemographic variables influenced sleep duration. Depression, cognitive dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease were associated with short or long sleep duration. Careful attention should be paid to the health of elderly individuals who are short or long sleepers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of smoking and to explore the factors associated with smoking cessation. 1118 Koreans were randomly sampled from the residents aged 65years or older living in Seongnam, Korea. Structured face-to-face interviews with neurological and physical examinations were conducted to the 714 respondents. A current smoker was defined as a person who had been smoking at least one cigarette per day for 1year, and a past smoker as a person who used to smoke but had not smoked in the past 1year. Nicotine dependence was defined as having the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score of 4 or higher. Age- and gender-standardized prevalence of ever smoker, past smoker and current smoker among the elderly Koreans aged 65 and over were estimated to be 36.3% (95% CI=32.7–39.8), 24.4% (95% CI=21.2–27.5) and 11.9% (95% CI=9.5–14.3), respectively. Current smokers were much more prevalent in men (23.3%) than in women (3.9%), but did not decline with advancing age in both genders. 36.0% (21 men, 10 women) of the current smokers were nicotine-dependent. The smokers with depression or alcohol use disorder (AUD) were less likely and those who were educated more or inhaled smoke more deeply were more likely to quit smoking. Thus, smoking is common in the elderly men, and treatments of depression and AUD may be helpful in increasing smoking cessation rate among elderly Koreans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examined factors associated with lifetime treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in a nationwide sample of Korean adults. Of the 6,510 subjects aged 18-64 years who participated in the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, 362 (5.6%) with a lifetime diagnosis of MDD were analyzed. Diagnostic assessments were based on the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview administered by lay interviewers. Of the 362 respondents with a lifetime diagnosis of MDD, 117 (32.3%) had been treated for psychiatric problems. Treated individuals with MDD were more likely to have chronic episode(s), more symptoms of depression, insomnia, and suicidal ideation, and were less likely to have feelings of guilt. In addition, treated individuals were more likely to have comorbid anxiety disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Treatment-seeking by individuals with MDD is affected by socio-cultural factors such as misconception and stigma of mental illness, as well as severity of depression and comorbid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]