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Cross-sectional and longitudinal trajectory analyses of sleep duration and frailty among middle-aged and older Chinese adults

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The relationship between sleep duration and frailty remains unclear, particularly regarding their bidirectional nature and temporal dynamics in the Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association, developmental trajectories, and interactions between sleep duration and frailty in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 12,942 participants for cross-sectional analysis and 11,192 participants for the longitudinal trajectory study. Latent growth models and cross-lagged panel models were utilized to explore the temporal effects of sleep duration on frailty and vice versa. Participants' mean age was 59.29 ± 9.48 years, comprising 47.73% men and 52.27% women. Cross-sectional analysis revealed that, compared with participants with normal sleep duration (6-8 h), both Q1 (≤ 5 h, OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.64-2.41, P < 0.001) and Q4 (> 8 h, OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.12-2.02, P = 0.01) showed increased risks of frailty. The parallel latent growth model demonstrated that the initial level of sleep duration significantly negatively predicted the initial level of frailty (β = - 0.34, P < 0.001), while the rate of change in sleep duration negatively predicted the rate of change in frailty (β = - 0.61, P < 0.001). Conversely, the initial level of frailty significantly negatively predicted the initial level of sleep duration (β = - 0.36, P < 0.001), and the rate of change in frailty negatively predicted the rate of change in sleep duration (β = - 0.71, P < 0.001). Cross-lagged analysis indicated a bidirectional causal association between sleep duration and frailty, with the negative predictive effect of frailty on sleep duration being relatively stable, while sleep duration had a short-term effect on frailty. Our study revealed a U-shaped correlation between sleep duration and frailty risk in cross-sectional analysis and established a bidirectional relationship through longitudinal investigation. These findings underscore the importance of balanced sleep patterns and early screening for both conditions in middle-aged and older adults.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-97130-z
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4409457342
FWCI: 3.193
Cites: 42
Cited by: 6
Related to: 10