Assessment of Sleep Quality among Nursing Students on Clinical Posting in a Tertiary Health Facility in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Context: The sleep quality of nursing students needs to be assessed in the context of their living conditions in order to know the best way to improve any abnormality noted. Aim: To assess the quality of sleep of nursing students and determine its relationship with their conditions of living among other factors. Methods and Material: A cross-sectional descriptive study involving nursing students on postings in a tertiary health facility. The socio-demographic data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaires. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS) for Windows version 22. Chi-square (χ2) or Fisher’s exact tests were used to determine the association between sleep quality and various parameters. Results: The total participants were 255 with a mean age of 21.5 ± 3.4 yrs and a male to female ratio of 0.4:1. The mean sleep latency period and mean sleep duration were 21.5 ± 14.0 minutes and 6.4 ± 1.4 hours respectively. The mean ESS was 9.8 ± 3.5 indicating an increased tendency for daytime sleepiness. The mean PSQI was 6.2 ± 3.0. Seventy-three percent of the participants were poor sleepers (had scores of ≥5); 7.1% of them had a level of severity needing medical help. The quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness were significantly associated with the number of roommates and source of funding respectively. Conclusion: Most of the participants have poor sleep quality which is significantly associated with the number of roommates and source of funding.