The Impacts of Poor Sleep Quality on Knee Pain and Quality of Life in Young Adults: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort

Objectives: Poor sleep is common among young adults and is often associated with pain. This study investigates the relationship between pain-related outcomes, sleep quality, and quality of life in young adults with and without knee pain. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of the 5-year follow-up of a prospective cohort study. 523 young adults were surveyed for knee pain in 2011 and followed up five years later. Respondents reporting knee pain at both points were categorized as having knee pain (n=177), while controls did not report knee pain (n=85). Five-year follow-up data assessed clinical pain intensity, pain-related outcomes, quality of life, and physical activity. Additionally, respondents were scored as having good, moderate, or poor sleep quality. Results: In the knee pain group, respondents with poor sleep had worse Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) scores across all domains (P<0.05), decreased quality of life (P<0.001), impacted mood (P<0.05), and impacted everyday life (P<0.001) compared to those with good sleep. Respondents with poor sleep in both the knee pain and control group reported more pain sites per month (P<0.01) compared to those with good sleep. Finally, respondents in the knee pain group with poor sleep had increased pain medication usage compared to those with good sleep (P<0.05). Discussion: This study emphasizes the negative association between poor sleep quality and knee pain in young adults. The results indicate a need for strategies to address sleep disturbances in young adults to alleviate pain-related suffering and to increase quality of life.