Association Between Loneliness and Sleep-Related Problems Among Japanese Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  1. Hirofumi Tesen
  2. Yusuke Konno
  3. Seiichiro Tateishi
  4. Ayako Hino
  5. Mayumi Tsuji
  6. Akira Ogami
  7. Masako Nagata
  8. Keiji Muramatsu
  9. Reiji Yoshimura
  10. Yoshihisa Fujino

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Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been linked to a rise in loneliness. Loneliness is associated with sleep-related problems, which in turn can be a risk factor for various psychiatric disorders. However, it is unclear whether loneliness is linked to sleep-related problems during the pandemic. Here, we studied the association between loneliness and sleep-related problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Methods

A total of 33,302 individuals who indicated they were employed were surveyed online. The survey responses of 27,036 participants were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results

Of those analyzed, 2,750 (10.2%) experienced feelings of loneliness. Further, sleep-related problems were significantly more common among those who felt lonely both in the short term (more than 3 days) and the long term (more than 3 months). The ORs were much weaker after adjusting for factors related to interpersonal connections, such as family and friendships, than after adjusting for factors related to socioeconomic status.

Conclusion

Loneliness may be a risk factor for sleep-related problems in the COVID-19 pandemic. Having connections with family and friends may have a moderating effect on the occurrence of sleep-related problems.

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  1. Version published to 10.3389/fpubh.2022.828650
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.11.07.21266001: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    EthicsIRB: This study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health (approval number R2-079).
    Consent: Informed consent was obtained through a form on the survey website.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    No key resources detected.

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:
    Limitations of this study: First, because this study was conducted on Internet users, the degree to which the results are generalizable is unclear. To reduce bias, we sampled based on region, job type and prefecture according to the rate of infection. Second, whether or not participants felt lonely was determined using one question: “During the last 30 days, how often did you feel the following emotions?” Further studies using less subjective assessments of loneliness are needed to confirm our findings. Third, we were unable to assess the severity of sleep problems as we did not use the insomnia rating scale. Finally, because this was a cross-sectional study, we could not determine the temporal link between loneliness and sleep-related problems.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.11.07.21266001v1 on medRxiv