Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Nov 20:11:577429.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.577429. eCollection 2020.

Gender Difference in the Prevalence of Insomnia: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Liang-Nan Zeng  1   2   3   4   5 , Qian-Qian Zong  6 , Yuan Yang  3   4   5 , Ling Zhang  6 , Yi-Fan Xiang  7 , Chee H Ng  8 , Li-Gang Chen  1   2 , Yu-Tao Xiang  3   4
Affiliations

Gender Difference in the Prevalence of Insomnia: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Liang-Nan Zeng et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Objective: Insomnia is a major health challenge in the general population, but the results of the gender differences in the epidemiology of insomnia have been mixed. This is a meta-analysis to examine the gender difference in the prevalence of insomnia among the general population. Methods:Two reviewers independently searched relevant publications in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science from their inception to 16 April 2019. Studies that reported the gender-based prevalence of insomnia according to the international diagnostic criteria were included for analyses using the random-effects model. Results:Eventually 13 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of insomnia in the general population was 22.0% [n = 22,980, 95% confidence interval (CI): 17.0-28.0%], and females had a significantly higher prevalence of insomnia compared with males (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.85, Z = 5.63, p < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses showed that greater gender difference was associated with the use of case-control study design and consecutive sampling method. Meta-regression analyses also revealed that higher proportion of females and better study quality were significantly associated with greater gender difference. Conclusions:This meta-analysis found that the prevalence of insomnia in females was significantly higher than males in the included studies. Due to the negative effects of insomnia on health, regular screening, and effective interventions should be implemented in the general population particularly for females.

Keywords: gender difference; insomnia; meta-analysis; observational studies; prevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the prevalence of insomnia in the general population.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot of gender difference in the prevalence of insomnia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bajaj V, Kalra I, Bajaj A, Sharma D, Kumar R. A case of zolpidem dependence with extremely high daily doses. Asia Pac Psychiatry. (2019) 11:e12356. 10.1111/appy.12356 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sateia M, Doghramji K, Hauri P, Morin C. Evaluation of chronic insomnia. Sleep. (2000) 23:243–308. 10.1093/sleep/23.2.1l - DOI - PubMed
    1. Benbir G, Demir AU, Aksu M, Ardic S, Firat H, Itil O, et al. . Prevalence of insomnia and its clinical correlates in a general population in Turkey. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. (2015) 69:543–52. 10.1111/pcn.12252 - DOI - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Pub; (2013).
    1. Mai E, Buysse JD. Insomnia: prevalence, impact, pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and evaluation. Sleep Med Clin. (2008) 3:167–74. 10.1016/j.jsmc.2008.02.001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types