Prevalence of Chronic Insomnia Symptoms and Associated Factors among Adults in Urban Settings: The Case of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

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Résumé

Introduction
In the African and Burkinabe context, characterized by an increasing burden of chronic diseases in contrast with limited healthcare resources, chronic insomnia further exacerbates socio-health vulnerability. We conducted this study to assess the prevalence of chronic insomnia symptoms and their associated factors among adults in the urban setting of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This study aims to provide robust local data on insomnia and to guide health policy.
Patients and Methods
This was a cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive, and analytical study conducted from December 17, 2024, to January 23, 2025, through a survey of adults aged over 18 years residing in the municipality of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The items of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used to diagnose insomnia symptoms and assess their severity among participants. An ISI score between 15 and 28 defined the presence of insomnia. The diagnosis of chronic insomnia was based on DSM-5 (2013) diagnostic criteria B, C, and D. Descriptive analysis summarized quantitative and qualitative variables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors significantly and independently associated with chronic insomnia, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results
A total of 388 individuals were surveyed, with a mean age of 30.5 years, of whom 42% were women. Symptoms of chronic insomnia were reported in 69 individuals (17.8%). Chronic insomnia was most often moderate (97.1%), characterized by difficulties with sleep initiation (49.3%) and/or sleep maintenance (24.6%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age > 35 years (OR 3.9; p = 0.001), female sex (OR 2.8; p = 0.003), family history of insomnia (OR 2.5; p = 0.006), chronic exposure to excessive stress (OR 2.8; p = 0.006), and exposure to noise pollution (OR 3.1; p = 0.001) were independently associated with chronic insomnia among adults in Ouagadougou.
Conclusion
Chronic insomnia among adults living in urban settings in our context is frequent and multifactorial, with an interaction of biological factors (advanced age, female sex), behavioral and social factors (exposure to noise pollution, family environment), and psychological factors (chronic exposure to excessive stress). Improving the urban living environment and health conditions may help reduce the burden of insomnia in Burkina Faso.

Mots-clés

chronic insomnia; adults; prevalence; age > 35 years; women; noise pollution; stress; family history of insomnia; Ouagadougou