Dados do Trabalho

Título

Factors related with poor sleep quality among undergraduate students at a Brazilian Federal University

Introdução

Sleeping is a physiological process, fundamental to human beings’ physical and psychological functions. A low-quality sleep is related to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), obesity, and poor quality of life. Physical exercise may minimize the deleterious effects of low-quality sleep.

Objetivo

To evaluate the relationship of sleep quality, physical activity, body mass index and quality of life among university students attending health care courses at São Carlos Federal University.

Métodos

This was an observational cross-sectional study. The students answered to self-administered questionnaires about their weight, height, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), EDS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and quality of life (SF-36).

Resultados

A total of 453 students were assessed, and attended the following undergraduate courses: 36% medicine, 13% nursing, 12% physical therapy, 16% physical education, 13% occupational therapy, and 10 % gerontology. Around 2/3 of the subjects were female and 1/3 were male. Students slept an average of 7h/night and 71% presented low-quality sleep. Among these, 34% presented with EDS, 6% with obesity, and 5% a sedentary lifestyle. Students with low quality of life scores, had worse scores on vitality (65%) and emotional problems (71%) domains. Students with high-quality sleep didn´t present with EDS nor obesity and were more active, with a better life quality. Undergraduate physical education students were less obese (1%), more active (83%), less sleepy (22%) and showed higher quality of life scores (44%). Occupational therapy undergraduate students, on the other hand, had lower sleep quality scores (22% with good sleep quality), were sedentary or had an irregular active lifestyle (38%). They also demonstrated low scores on vitality (67%), general mental health (47%) and social aspects (48%) domains of quality-of-life questionnaires.

Conclusões

Most students had a poor sleep quality and high EDS scores. Students with higher sleep quality, were less obese and had a better quality of life. Occupational therapy undergraduate students presented worst sleep quality; more inactivity; and poorer quality of life. Physical education students had better sleep quality, better quality of life and were more physically active when compared to undergraduate students from other courses.

Palavras-chave

Sleep, University Students, Quality of Life