Iran Journal of Nursing

Background & Aims With the increase in the number of older people suffering from metabolic syndrome, the quality of sleep of these people has become a worrying issue that has less been addressed. The current study aims to investigate the metabolic syndrome indicators, sleep disorders, and related factors in older adults with metabolic syndrome in Iran.
Materials & Methods This is a descriptive-correlational study with a cross-sectional design that was conducted from June to September 2022. Using a multi-stage cluster sampling method, 298 patients with metabolic syndrome referred to urban health centers in Baghmalek city were selected based on the inclusion criteria (age at least 60 years, diagnosis with metabolic syndrome, having acceptable cognitive and communication ability, and written informed consent). A demographic form and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index were used to collect data. To analyze the collected data, the t-test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square test were used. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. 
Results The mean age of participants was 68.65±7.19 years. Almost all participants had high blood sugar. About 86% of them had high blood pressure, and about 73% had abdominal obesity. Also, about 44% had high levels of triglycerides and about 33% had low level of high-density lipoprotein. It was found that 55% of participants had poor sleep quality. The prevalence of poor sleep quality in women and men was 59% and 51%, respectively. There was a significant difference in sleep quality regarding age, gender, marital status, living arrangement, and BMI (P<0.05).
Conclusion The poor sleep quality in older people with metabolic syndrome living in Baghmalek city in Iran is high. In the future plans and interventions at the national and local levels for these patients, older age groups, women, widow/widowed people, obese people and those living alone should be prioritized. Also, considering the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome, the health and therapeutic interventions should be focused on controlling diabetes, hypertension, and abdominal obesity in the patients. Preventive measures such as sleep hygiene education and rehabilitation plans should also be considered in this regard.