Loneliness, restless sleep, and incident possible or confirmed sarcopenia among middle-aged and older Chinese…

Abstract

Loneliness and sleep problems may mark vulnerability to sarcopenia, but prospective evidence on their co-occurrence is limited. Using 2011 and 2015 CHARLS data, we examined loneliness, restless sleep, and their joint exposure in relation to incident possible or confirmed sarcopenia. The unweighted complete-case analysis included 6,614 participants free of either category at baseline. Loneliness and restless sleep were coded from two CES-D-10 items. During follow-up, 1,067 participants developed the composite outcome. In the most extensively adjusted logistic model, loneliness (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18–1.62) and restless sleep (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.38) were associated with higher odds. Compared with neither symptom, the OR was 1.32 (95% CI 1.02–1.71) for loneliness only, 1.13 (95% CI 0.95–1.34) for restless sleep only, and 1.53 (95% CI 1.26–1.87) for both symptoms. Modified Poisson analysis was consistent for both symptoms (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.16–1.54), whereas multiplicative interaction was not supported. Loneliness and restless sleep were associated with the composite outcome, and their co-occurrence identified the highest odds. These observational findings do not establish causality.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{wang2026loneliness,
  title = {{Loneliness, restless sleep, and incident possible or confirmed sarcopenia among middle-aged and older Chinese adults}},
  author = {Tian Wang and Chenghan Xu and Qiyun Shi and Chuangbei Hu and Jinhui Fan and Jie Zhang and Penghui Li and Rongxing Shi and Yongwei Song},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-73578-5},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73578-5},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Loneliness, restless sleep, and incident possible or confirmed sarcopenia among middle-aged and older Chinese adults
AU  - Tian Wang
AU  - Chenghan Xu
AU  - Qiyun Shi
AU  - Chuangbei Hu
AU  - Jinhui Fan
AU  - Jie Zhang
AU  - Penghui Li
AU  - Rongxing Shi
AU  - Yongwei Song
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-73578-5
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73578-5
AB  - Loneliness and sleep problems may mark vulnerability to sarcopenia, but prospective evidence on their co-occurrence is limited. Using 2011 and 2015 CHARLS data, we examined loneliness, restless sleep, and their joint exposure in relation to incident possible or confirmed sarcopenia. The unweighted complete-case analysis included 6,614 participants free of either category at baseline. Loneliness and restless sleep were coded from two CES-D-10 items. During follow-up, 1,067 participants developed the composite outcome. In the most extensively adjusted logistic model, loneliness (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18–1.62) and restless sleep (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.38) were associated with higher odds. Compared with neither symptom, the OR was 1.32 (95% CI 1.02–1.71) for loneliness only, 1.13 (95% CI 0.95–1.34) for restless sleep only, and 1.53 (95% CI 1.26–1.87) for both symptoms. Modified Poisson analysis was consistent for both symptoms (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.16–1.54), whereas multiplicative interaction was not supported. Loneliness and restless sleep were associated with the composite outcome, and their co-occurrence identified the highest odds. These observational findings do not establish causality.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -

Abstract

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