Psychological and sleep-related factors among quarantined Omani students returning from abroad

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background One of the many repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic has been stress. The death toll from the pandemic, as well as sleep loss, have been noted to be the root causes of COVID-19 related stress and distress among students in the Arabian Gulf countries. Aims This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-reported sleeping problems and the socio-demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors among quarantined Omani students arriving from abroad Methods This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 1-10 2020. The participants were all Omani students who had arrived from abroad during the pandemic. The outcome measures consisted of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7 (GAD-7), as well as relevant socio-demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Result A total of 376 participants were included in this study with 49.5% (n = 186) noted to be suffering from insomnia. Multivariate logistic analysis suggested that female students were 2.4 times (odds ratio [OR] = 2.43; confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-3.93; P < .001) more likely to suffer from insomnia when compared to male students. Conclusion Almost half of the participants self-reported sleeping problems, with a higher prevalence among female students. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings