Sundown Syndrome, Sleep Quality, and Walking Among Community-Dwelling People With Alzheimer Disease.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the relationship between walking and sundown syndrome in people with Alzheimer disease, and assess how walking duration and accompanying walker influenced sleep quality and sundown syndrome.
Results Summary
The study found that sundown syndrome was significantly correlated with sleep quality, and that advanced dementia, poor sleep quality, and shorter weekly walking duration were influencing factors. Walking with relatives and longer walking time improved sleep quality and alleviated sundown syndrome.
Population
People with Alzheimer disease living in the community in southern Taiwan.
Effective Dosage
Weekly duration of walking (specific hours not provided).
Duration
Not specified (cross-sectional study).
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
walking | decrease | sundown syndrome | people with Alzheimer disease | - | influenced | #1 |
walking with relatives | increase | sleep quality | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could improve | #2 |
walking with relatives | decrease | sundown syndrome | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could alleviate | #3 |
regular longer walking time | increase | sleep quality | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could improve | #4 |
regular longer walking time | decrease | sundown syndrome | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could alleviate | #5 |
well-designed walking intervention | decrease | sundown syndrome | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could be an appropriate strategy to manage | #6 |
well-designed walking intervention | increase | sleep quality | people with Alzheimer disease | - | could be an appropriate strategy to manage | #7 |
PURPOSES: Sundown syndrome and sleep disturbances cause people with Alzheimer disease (PAD) and caregivers suffering. Studies have indicated that physical exercise could have a positive impact on sundown syndrome, yet no research has ever explored the relationship between walking and sundown syndrome. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between sundown syndrome and sleep quality, and determine whether the severity of dementia, sleep quality, and weekly duration of walking influenced sundown syndrome, and to assess differences in sundown syndrome and sleep quality in relation to the accompanying walker and weekly duration of walking among people with Alzheimer disease living in the community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observation study was conducted. METHODS: A total 184 participants were recruited from dementia outpatient clinics of several hospitals and long-term care resource management centers in southern Taiwan. The Chinese version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, Community form was used to assess sundown syndrome, and the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to measure sleep quality. Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and 1-way analysis of variance were performed for data analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that sundown syndrome was significantly correlated with sleep quality (r = 0.374), whereas severity of dementia, sleep quality, and weekly duration of walking were influencing factors of sundown syndrome and accounted for a total of 24.8% of the variance (adjusted R CONCLUSIONS: Advanced dementia, poor sleep quality, and shorter weekly duration of walking were the influencing factors of sundown syndrome. Walking with relatives and regular longer walking time could improve sleep quality and alleviate sundown syndrome. It is suggested that a well-designed walking intervention considering these factors could be an appropriate strategy to manage sundown syndrome and sleep quality for PAD and their caregivers.