Proceedings of the 39th International Academic Conference, Amsterdam

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SLEEP BEHAVIOR AMONG THE OLDER ADULTS IN MACAO: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

CINDY SIN U LEONG

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors contributing to the sleep behavior among the older adults in Macao. As people become older, they may have a difficult time falling asleep and have a more trouble maintaining asleep in comparison to their younger age. Macao has an image of “healthy city”, since the average life expectancy of people in Macao is 84-year-old for females and 81-year-old for males. From these figures, it may say the sleep behavior is not too bad for the general public, but is it correct? This research study used a qualitative approach to explore and understand the sleep patterns. There were total 60 older adults. All of these older adults lived with family members in the community. Most of them were from two elderly activity centers and society association. The information from the interviewees was transcribed verbatim to convey the interviewees’ intended message as accurately as possible. One principal theme that emerged from the study was “concerns about the living environment”. With better living environment, they had relatively proper sleep behavior. However, if their living environment was not reached the standard, they had quite “poor” sleep behavior. Unless addressed successfully, this issue can compromise optimal older adults’ health and increase the cost of health care sources. Being as health professionals and educators, there is a need to encourage the government to face and solve the problem.

Keywords: sleep pattern, older adults, Macao

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2018.039.027

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