Impact of multimorbidity on sleep and depressive symptoms among individuals living with COPD

<bold>Background:</bold> Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic conditions, commonly affects depressive symptoms and sleep hygiene. However, evidence on multimorbidity among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lacking. This study aims to assess the impact of multimorbidity on sleep and depressive symptoms in American adults with COPD. <bold>Methods:</bold> This cross-sectional study analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011-2018. Participants were adults ≥ 20 years with self-reported COPD. Multimorbidity was assessed using 12 common chronic diseases. Sleep parameters included hours of sleep and whether they ever told doctors they had trouble sleeping. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. All analyses utilized sample weights from mobile examination centers to adjust for selection probabilities and nonresponse. <bold>Results:</bold> Our study included 1,641 adults with COPD, with 39.9% men and a mean age of 57 years. Only 5.8% of Americans with COPD had no additional chronic condition. On average, participants had 3.30 chronic conditions, ranging from 0 to 9. In multivariate analysis, each additional multimorbid condition increased the odds of reporting trouble sleeping (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.27-1.51) and feeling depressed (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.20-1.49). <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Multimorbidity is prevalent among individuals living with COPD, contributing to increased reports of trouble sleeping and depressive symptoms. These findings emphasize the importance of personalized symptom self-management strategies tailored to the unique needs of multimorbid adults with COPD.