A study on association between subjective memory complaints and sleep quality among elderly patients in Saudi Arabia: Role of age, gender, and education

The present study investigated the association between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and sleep pattern with participant characteristics (i.e., age, gender, educational level) among elderly patients in a section of Saudi population. Cross-sectional analytical study. Adults of both sexes aged 65 years and above, attending an ambulatory clinic at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January to July 2022, were the subject of the study. Data were collected through interviews by administering the SMC questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The patient demographic data included age, sex, and educational level. Data analysis showed a Pearson correlation coefficient between the global PSQI scale score and its components, and SMC. The results also showed a statistically significant correlation between the PSQI global score and SMC (r = 0.484, P ≤ .05). The study concluded that there was a significant association between sleep quality and SMC in older patients. In addition, the study indicated that several characteristics of SMC could be explained by the interaction of sleep quality, age, sex, and educational level.