This study aimed to examine the associations between the different constructs of daytime sleepiness and subjective well-being (SWB), and to investigate whether physical disability moderated these associations in community-dwelling older adults. We examined daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and SWB was evaluated in terms of self-rated health and happiness. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine latent constructs of ESS, yielding two primary factors, which were designated as active and passive factors. The active factor was positively correlated with self-rated health and self-rated happiness. By contrast, the passive factor was negatively correlated with self-rated health but not with self-rated happiness. Physical disability was evaluated using the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS). By examining the interaction terms between the ESS factors and GARS, we demonstrated that the physical disability moderated the associations of active and passive factors with self-rated health.
Keywords: daytime sleepiness; moderation effect; older adults; subjective well-being.