Muscle strength, body weight and late-life insomnia in a Hong Kong-wide survey
In this cross-sectional survey of 5,824 adults aged 60 or older, low handgrip strength and underweight were each linked to higher odds of insomnia; the combination showed the highest prevalence. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
This territory-wide cross-sectional study of 5,824 adults aged at least 60 years (77.8% female) measured handgrip strength and body weight status and identified insomnia with the Insomnia Severity Index. [1]
Clinically defined low muscle strength was associated with higher odds of insomnia (1.22, 95% CI 1.02–1.46) after adjustment including depressive symptoms, and only underweight, not overweight or obesity, was linked to higher odds (1.66, 1.18–2.34). [1]
Underweight combined with low muscle strength showed the largest absolute differences in predicted probability of insomnia (6.3% to 10.6%), and the authors concluded the two were independently associated with insomnia. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Cross-sectional study (abstract).
- Population / context
- 5,824 adults aged at least 60 years (77.8% female) in a territory-wide survey.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 1, 2026
Insomnia, grip strength and weight measured once in older adults
This territory-wide cross-sectional study looked at how muscle strength and body weight status relate jointly to late-life insomnia. Insomnia was identified with the Insomnia Severity Index. Muscle strength was measured as handgrip strength. Body weight status was assessed via body mass index, waist circumference and body fat percentage. The 5,824 participants were at least 60 years old and 77.8% were female. Because measurements were taken at one time point, the study cannot show which factor came first.
Supporting source [1]
Low grip strength and underweight linked to higher insomnia odds
Among the 5,824 participants, 696 (12.0%) had insomnia. Clinically defined low muscle strength was associated with higher odds of insomnia (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.46) after adjustment for confounders including depressive symptoms. Odds rose across muscle-strength quartiles, reaching 1.56 (1.22–1.99) in the lowest versus the highest. Compared with normal weight, only underweight was linked to higher odds (1.66, 1.18–2.34); overweight or obesity were not. In joint analyses, low muscle strength was associated with higher odds in normal-weight (1.47, 1.08–1.99) and underweight (2.27, 1.46–3.50) groups. These are associations, not causes.
Supporting source [1]
Combination group showed largest predicted differences
Underweight combined with low muscle strength consistently showed the largest absolute differences in predicted probability of insomnia, at 6.3% to 10.6%. Among participants with normal muscle strength, neither underweight (2.29, 1.16–4.55; Bonferroni-corrected p = .053) nor overweight/obese status (1.30, 0.95–1.77) showed significantly higher odds. The authors concluded that underweight and low muscle strength were independently associated with insomnia, with their co-occurrence showing the highest prevalence. This abstract reports a cross-sectional design, so direction and causality remain open; the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a cross-sectional study, so associations cannot establish direction or cause. Findings come from one territory-wide survey of adults aged 60 or older and may not generalize.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Zhai X, Xi J, Miao M, Yu DSF. · europepmc.org · October 1, 2026