%0 Journal Article %@ 2369-2960 %I JMIR Publications %V 9 %N %P e48032 %T Depression as a Mediator and Social Participation as a Moderator in the Bidirectional Relationship Between Sleep Disorders and Pain: Dynamic Cohort Study %A Fan,Si %A Wang,Qianning %A Zheng,Feiyang %A Wu,Yuanyang %A Yu,Tiantian %A Wang,Yanting %A Zhang,Xinping %A Zhang,Dexing %+ School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan, Hubei, China, 86 18062643970, xpzhang602@hust.edu.cn %K depression %K dynamic cohort %K longitudinal mediation %K pain %K sleep disorders %K social participation %D 2023 %7 26.7.2023 %9 Original Paper %J JMIR Public Health Surveill %G English %X 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 (β=.141; P<.001) and T3 (β=.117; P<.001) and previous pain on subsequent poor sleep at T2 (β=.080; P<.001) and T3 (β=.093; P<.001). The indirect effects of previous sleep disorders on pain through depressive symptoms (β=.020; SE 0.004; P<.001; effect size 21.98%), as well as previous pain on sleep disorders through depressive symptoms (β=.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 (β=.048; P=.15) and T3 (β=.085; P=.02), nor were there statistically significant effects of previous pain on subsequent sleep disorders at T2 (β=.037; P=.15) and T3 (β=.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. %M 37494109 %R 10.2196/48032 %U https://publichealth.jmir.org/2023/1/e48032 %U https://doi.org/10.2196/48032 %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37494109