Factors Associated With Poor Sleep in Older Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Objectives: To determine the relationship among gait, grip strength, cognition, depression, pain, and fatigue, and to identify which variables are most predictive of poor sleep.

Sample & Setting: 60 women with breast cancer aged 69 years or older who were receiving treatment in the Senior Adult Oncology Program at the James Cancer Hospital at the Ohio State University.

Methods & Variables: The variables were gait and grip strength (functional domains), cognition, depression, pain, and fatigue. Patients were tested using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Jamar Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer, Mini-Cog, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Brief Fatigue Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pearson correlation coefficients and logistic regression models were used.

Results: The mean age of the sample was 78 years. Pain and fatigue, depression and pain, and depression and fatigue each were positively related, and grip strength and TUG scores were negatively related. Fatigue was the strongest predictor of poor sleep.

Implications for Nursing: These findings are important to the comprehensive care of older women diagnosed with breast cancer. Understanding symptoms associated with poor sleep helps nurses develop comprehensive care plans for older adults with breast cancer.