Do differences in chronotypes affect sleep and health-related quality of life of nursing students? A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Nursing students experience higher levels of stress and more sleep-related problems than other students; however, the relationship of chronotype to nursing students’ sleep status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unclear. This cross-sectional, observational study investigated whether chronotype affected Japanese nursing college students’ sleep and HRQOL. Nursing students completed the Attribute Questionnaire about Subject Background, Japanese Version Morningness‒Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Munich Chrono-Type Questionnaire‒Japanese Version (MCTQ), Japanese Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), SF-12v2 Standard, Japanese Version 2.0 (SF-12), Japanese Translation of Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition‒Adult Short (POMS2). Of the 241 students (mean age 20.16 ± 1.80 years; 80.9% female), 80 (33.2%) had evening, 142 (58.9%) had intermediate, and 19 (7.9%) had morning chronotype. The overall total PSQI score was 6.86 ± 2.97. Additionally, 141 students (64.1%) scored ≥ 6, suggesting disturbed sleep. Approximately 80% of the evening chronotype students had a total PSQI score of 8.34 ± 3.11, clearly indicating disturbed sleep. Sleep-related parameters (total PSQI score, bedtime, sleep latency, wake-up time, sleep duration, social jetlag) were worse in evening than in other chronotypes. SF-12 and POMS2 did not differ among chronotypes. Thus, evening chronotype nursing students require sleep-related support from early on.

KEYWORDS:

• Chronotype
• nursing
• student
• sleep
• quality of life

Acknowledgements

We are deeply grateful to acknowledge all nursing students who participated in the study at the universities who contributed to data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by (Approval Number: 19001; Kansai University of Nursing and Health Sciences Research GrantKansai University of Nursing and Health Sciences Research Grant [19001].