BackgroundThe applicability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in screening of insomnia is demonstrated in various populations. But, the tool has not been validated in a sample of Ethiopians. Therefore, this study aimed to assess its psychometric properties in community dwelling Ethiopian adults.Material and methodsParticipants (n = 311, age = 25.5 ± 6.0 years and body mass index = 22.1 ± 2.3 kg/m2) from Mizan-Aman town, Southwest Ethiopia completed the PSQI and a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographics. Clinical interview for screening of insomnia according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders was carried out as a concurrent validation measure.ResultsOverall, the PSQI scale did not have floor effect and ceiling effects. Moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.59) and sufficient internal homogeneity as indicated by correlation coefficient between component scores and the global PSQI score was found. The PSQI was of good value for screening insomnia with optimal cut-off scores of 5.5 (sensitivity 82%, specificity 56.2%) and the area under the curve, 0.78 (p < 0.0001). The PSQI has unidimensional factor structure in the Ethiopian community adults for screening insomnia.ConclusionThe PSQI has good psychometric validity in screening for insomnia among Ethiopians adults.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0637-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundCurrent evidence supports the applicability of the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) in screening for insomnia. The psychometric properties of the LSEQ have never been investigated in an African population. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the adapted version of the LSEQ-Mizan (LSEQ-M) in Ethiopian university students.MethodsOf a preliminary sample of 750 (random sampling), 424 students (age = 21.87 ± 4.13 years and body mass index = 20.84 ± 3.18 kg/m2) from Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Aman, South-west Ethiopia completed the LSEQ-M, the General Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 and a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographics. Insomnia was screened in accordance with the International Classification of Sleep Disorders as a measure of concurrent validity.ResultsAlthough, individual items showed ceiling and floor effect, the LSEQ-M as a scale did not have these effects. Good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84) and strong internal homogeneity as measured by the correlation coefficient between items scores and the LSEQ-M global score was found. The LSEQ-M showed excellent screening applicability for insomnia with optimal cut-off scores of 52.6 (sensitivity 94%, specificity 80%), and the area under the curve, 0.95 (p < 0.0001). The original 4-Factor model was valid in Ethiopian university students for screening for insomnia.ConclusionThe LSEQ-M has excellent psychometric validity in screening for insomnia among Ethiopian university students.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-018-0876-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sleep correlates of substance use were found in community-dwelling Ethiopians. These findings may aid in the development of targeted strategies to manage substance use-related sleep disturbances.

Khat (Catha edulis) is a evergreen flowering shrub that is cultivated at high altitudes, especially in East Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The plant contains alkaloids, of which cathinone and cathine have structural similarity and pharmacological action similar to amphetamines. The leaves are, therefore, consumed in some regions as a psychoactive stimulant due to cultural beliefs and misperceptions on the health benefits of khat consumption. This resulted in a growing prevalence of khat consumption among pregnant women. The myriad of physiological changes associated with pregnancy impairs sleep and memory. Moreover, khat has also been shown to have adverse effects on memory and sleep. Therefore, its use during pregnancy may further aggravate those impairments. The purpose of this mini-review is to summarize the changes in sleep and memory during pregnancy and the evidence supporting a relationship between khat consumption and neurocognitive deficits and sleep dysfunctions. The misperceptions of beneficial effects of khat, the high prevalence of consumption among pregnant women, and the possibility of under-reporting of khat abuse do necessitate the development of alternative methodologies to identify cases of unreported khat abuse in pregnant women. It is proposed that screening for sleep problems and memory deficits may help identify under-reported cases of khat abuse in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND:Polysubstance dependence, stress, and sleep disturbances are inter-related by shared physiological pathways. No study has investigated the relationship between sleep and concurrent use of alcohol and khat.OBJECTIVES:The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the concurrent use of alcohol and khat as well as concurrent alcohol, khat, and tobacco smoking on sleep patterns.METHODS:A sample of community-dwelling adults (n = 339, age = 25.5 ± 5.7 years, body mass index = 22.0 ± 2.2 kg/m2) from Mizan-Aman, Ethiopia, participated in a cross-sectional study. Semi-structured tool for sociodemographics, substance use habit, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used. The difference in sleep patterns among substance use groups, i.e., nonusers, alcohol use only, concurrent alcohol and khat use, and concurrent alcohol, khat and tobacco smoking was assessed.RESULTS:The poorest sleep quality was found among concurrent users of alcohol, khat, and tobacco smoking (PSQI global score = 8.2 ± 2.4), followed by concurrent users of alcohol and khat (PSQI global score = 7.3 ± 2.9) (F (3.335) = 23.64, P < 0.001). There were significant differences in the PSQI component score of sleep quality χ2(3) =159.09, P < 0.001, the PSQI component score of sleep latency χ2(3) = 128.09, P < 0.001, and the PSQI component score of sleep disturbances χ2(3) = 37.69, P < 0.001 between substance use groups.CONCLUSION:Concurrent use of alcohol, khat as well as alcohol, khat, and tobacco smoking was associated with poor sleep. Sleep disturbances in this group need management to avoid the prospective development of psychosocial disturbances in polysubstance users.