0737 Retirement, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Sleep in Older Adult Veterans

Abstract Introduction Retirement is a major life transition. Prior evidence suggests that retired individuals have better sleep quality than working individuals, though may also exhibit worse physical and mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Few studies have examined how retirement can impact the relationship between sleep and HRQOL, particularly among veterans who often face greater impairments in sleep and health. Methods Secondary analyses were conducted in a sample of 346 older veterans (mage=64, 47% white) with suspected co-morbid sleep apnea and insomnia. Measures included retirement status (retired/not retired), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) encompassing both physical (SF-P) and mental health-related (SF-M) quality of life. Multiple regression analyses were conducted, with each model containing one sleep variable (ex. ISI), retirement status, and statistical interactions predicting SF-M or SF-P. Results All models were statistically significant. Retirement status was a significant predictor of SF-P across models (-4.52< b<-4.22, p≤.001), but was not a predictor of SF-M. When coupled with PSQI, the relationship between PSQI and SF-P was moderated by retirement status (b=-.68, p=.02), with retired individuals endorsing lower SF-P with poorer sleep quality compared to non-retired individuals. PSQI was also a significant predictor of SF-M (b=-1.27, p<.001). ISI was a significant predictor of both SF-P (b=-.41, p=.01) and SF-M (b=-.9, p<.001). Conclusion Poor sleep and being retired are associated with poor physical HRQOL, with physical HRQOL being particularly impacted by sleep quality in veterans who are retired. In contrast, only poor sleep functioning appeared to impact mental HRQOL. Findings from this study highlight the importance of sleep-related factors in maintaining HRQOL as well as the role retirement can play in physical HRQOL. Support (if any) Support: Support provided by the Veterans Administration (VA) HSR&D (Award #: HX003221), VA Greater Los Angeles GRECC, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)