Poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness and association with mental health in college students

Abstract

Aim

To estimate the prevalence of poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) among college students and to analyse their association with aspects of mental health.

Subjects and methods

A cross-sectional study carried out with 1113 college students, enrolled in full-time courses at a public university in the Mid-West region of Brazil. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire with questions about demographics, socioeconomics, mental health, sleep quality, and EDS. Measurements of weight and height were taken to assess weight status using the body mass index. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between perceived stress (classified as light, moderate, and high) and presence of depressive symptoms with poor sleep quality and presence of EDS.

Results

High prevalence of poor sleep quality (65.5%) and EDS (55%) was observed. In the adjusted models, poor sleep quality was significantly associated with moderate and high perceived stress and presence of depressive symptoms. For EDS, there was also a significant association with moderate and high perceived stress and presence of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

High prevalence of poor sleep quality and EDS was found among college students. Perceived stress and presence of depressive symptoms were significantly associated with both evaluated outcomes.

Keywords:

• Sleep quality
• excessive daytime sleepiness
• perceived stress
• depressive symptoms
• college students

Ethical approval

This study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects/patients were approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Júlio Muller University Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil (report number 1.006.048, dated 04/15/2015).

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

Author contributions

J.N.R.: study conception, data collection, statistical analysis and interpretation, manuscript conception, writing and final revision. A.P.M.: data statistical analysis, manuscript final revision. P.S.N.: data statistical analysis and interpretation, manuscript final revision. M.G.F.: study conception, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript conception and final revision. P.R.M.R.: study conception, statistical analysis and interpretation, manuscript conception, writing and final revision. All authors read and approved the final version.

Disclosure statement

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