Magnitude of Poor Sleep Hygiene Practice and Associated Factors among Medical Students in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Good sleep hygiene plays an important role in human health. Medical students are notorious for insufficient and irregular sleep habits which are linked with students' learning abilities, poor academic performance, and poor interpersonal relationship which predispose them to mental illnesses. However, it has not been studied among medical students in Ethiopia.

Method: This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 576 undergraduate medical students selected by using a stratified sampling technique. Sleep hygiene (SHI) was assessed by a 13-item sleep hygiene questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the potential determinants of poor sleep hygiene among undergraduate medical students. Variables with p values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant, and the strength of the association was presented by adjusted odds ratio with 95% C.I.

Result: The prevalence of poor sleep hygiene practice among undergraduate medical students was 48.1% (95% 43.7, 52.1). After adjusting for the possible confounders, being female (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.03, 2.26), having depressive symptoms (AOR = 3.55, 95% CI 2.26, 5.59), with stress symptoms (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.61, 3.60), and having anxiety symptoms (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.42, 3.31) were associated with poor sleep hygiene practice at p value < 0.05.

Conclusion: Almost half of the medical students had poor sleep hygiene practice. Routine screening of depressive and stress symptoms and education about sleep hygiene are warranted among medical students.