Could low levels of physical activity predict insomnia in women? A cross-sectional study

• Grant number: 19/25135-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2020
• End date: February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Monica Levy Andersen
• Grantee: Felipe Hideki Arakaki
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sleep disorders are common in the general population, resulting in great repercussions and public expenditure. Among them, insomnia is one of the most important and has strong negative impacts on physical and mental health, especially in women. Currently, a pharmacological approach is the main treatment for insomnia. However, the search for alternative therapies has increased in the past years. Regular physical activity promotes anxiety reduction, increase in serotonin levels and improvements in the immunological system, consisting of, therefore, a treatment option that is cheap, accessible and free of collateral effects. However, it is not presently established whether reduced activity levels can contribute to the worsening of insomnia symptoms in women. Objective: To analyze the association between low levels of physical activity in female volunteers of the São Paulo Epidemiological Sleep Study (EPISONO). Methods: This study will have a cross-sectional observational design including all women participating in the EPISONO study. Data from Brazilian Criteria of Economic Classification (BCEC), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), WHOQOL-BREF for Quality of Life, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory will be included. Multivariate regression will be performed for the evaluation of predictive power based on data obtained from EPISONO. With this project, it is expected to understand whether low levels of physical activity can predict insomnia in women. (AU)