@Article{info:doi/10.2196/48032,
author="Fan, Si
and Wang, Qianning
and Zheng, Feiyang
and Wu, Yuanyang
and Yu, Tiantian
and Wang, Yanting
and Zhang, Xinping
and Zhang, Dexing",
title="Depression as a Mediator and Social Participation as a Moderator in the Bidirectional Relationship Between Sleep Disorders and Pain: Dynamic Cohort Study",
journal="JMIR Public Health Surveill",
year="2023",
month="Jul",
day="26",
volume="9",
pages="e48032",
keywords="depression; dynamic cohort; longitudinal mediation; pain; sleep disorders; social participation",
abstract="Background: Chronic pain, sleep disorders, and depression are major global health concerns. Recent studies have revealed a strong link between sleep disorders and pain, and each of them is bidirectionally correlated with depressive symptoms, suggesting a complex relationship between these conditions. Social participation has been identified as a potential moderator in this complex relationship, with implications for treatment. However, the complex interplay among sleep disorders, pain, depressive symptoms, and social participation in middle- and old-aged Asians remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and pain in middle- and old-aged Chinese and measure the role of depression as a mediator and social participation as a moderator in this bidirectional relationship through a dynamic cohort study. Methods: We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study across 5 years and included a total of 7998 middle- and old-aged people (≥45 years old) with complete data in 2011 (T1), 2015 (T2), and 2018 (T3). The cross-lag model was used to assess the interplay among sleep disorders, pain, depressive symptoms, and social participation. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Sleep disorders were assessed by a single-item sleep quality scale and nighttime sleep duration. The pain score was the sum of all pain locations reported. Social participation was measured using self-reported activity. Results: Our results showed significant cross-lagged effects of previous sleep disorders on subsequent pain at T2 ($\beta$=.141; P<.001) and T3 ($\beta$=.117; P<.001) and previous pain on subsequent poor sleep at T2 ($\beta$=.080; P<.001) and T3 ($\beta$=.093; P<.001). The indirect effects of previous sleep disorders on pain through depressive symptoms ($\beta$=.020; SE 0.004; P<.001; effect size 21.98{\%}), as well as previous pain on sleep disorders through depressive symptoms ($\beta$=.012; SE 0.002; P<.001; effect size 20.69{\%}), were significant across the 3 time intervals. Among participants with high levels of social participation, there were no statistically significant effects of previous sleep disorders on subsequent pain at T2 ($\beta$=.048; P=.15) and T3 ($\beta$=.085; P=.02), nor were there statistically significant effects of previous pain on subsequent sleep disorders at T2 ($\beta$=.037; P=.15) and T3 ($\beta$=.039; P=.24). Additionally, the mediating effects of depressive symptoms on the sleep disorders-to-pain pathway (P=.14) and the pain-to-sleep disorders pathway (P=.02) were no longer statistically significant. Conclusions: There is a bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and pain in middle- and old-aged Asians; depression plays a longitudinal mediating role in the bidirectional relationship between them; and social participation moderates the bidirectional relationship between them directly and indirectly by affecting depression. Future interventions may consider the complex relationship between these conditions and adopt a comprehensive treatment regime. ",
issn="2369-2960",
doi="10.2196/48032",
url="https://publichealth.jmir.org/2023/1/e48032",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/48032",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37494109"
}