Sleep insufficiency and incident diabetes mellitus among indigenous and minority populations in Greece

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential association between sleep pathology and diabetes mellitus (DM) using self-reported questionnaires. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 957 adults aged between 19 and 86 years old were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used and subjects were classified into three groups [short (<6h), normal (6-8h) and long (>8h) sleep duration]. Individuals were classified as diabetics if they responded positively to the questions: “Have you ever been told that you are diabetic or have high blood sugar by a health professional?” or “Are you on antidiabetic medication?”. Sleep quality, utilizing Epworth sleepiness scale, Athens insomnia scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Berlin questionnaire, was also examined. RESULTS: DM prevalence was higher among expatriated and Muslim Greeks (23.1% and 18.7%, respectively) compared to indigenous Greek Christians (4.4%). DM prevalence was significantly associated with short sleep duration (aOR=2.82, p<0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (aOR=2.09, p=0.019) and poor sleep quality (aOR=2.56, p<0.001), while its relation with insomnia (aOR=1.63, p=0.065) and risk for obstructive sleep apnea (aOR=1.53, p=0.080) were of marginal statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This study indicates an association between sleep quantity, quality and DM and supports early pharmacological and cognitive behavioral interventions on sleep disturbances in order to reduce the burden of DM with increased focus on minority population needs.