Excessive daytime sleepiness and academic performance among dental students in north-east of peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is high among college and university students. EDS has been associated with poor concentration and forgetfulness that affect poor academic performance. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EDS on academic performance among undergraduate dental students at the School of Dental Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 198 students of year two through year five were selected. Subjects were asked to complete a guided questionnaire which consists of socio-demographic profiles and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Data were analyzed and presented as percentages of occurrence. Chi-square test and multiple regression analysis were performed to assess the association between ESS score and end of year examination results as a measure of students’ academic performance as well as other potential confounders—gender, body mass index (BMI) and ethnicity. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of EDS was 45% with students having mild, moderate and severe sleepiness were 38.4%, 5.5% and 1.5%, respectively. EDS was more common in males (51.9%) than females (43.2%). There was no significant association between ESS score and end of year results for each year (p>0.05). Similarly, BMI, gender and ethnicity also were not significantly associated with sleepiness. Conclusion: The high prevalence of EDS among dental students is a call for concern as it may affect their clinical practice and their mental and health wellbeing.

Excessive daytime sleepiness among dental students: A meta-analysis of prevalence

“…Consequently, seven that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. [39][40][41][42][43][44][45] The complete flowchart of the selection process is presented in Figure 1. The summary of the seven cross-sectional analyses that reported the prevalence of sleepiness in dental students is presented in Table 1.…”

“…The summary of the seven cross-sectional analyses that reported the prevalence of sleepiness in dental students is presented in Table 1. Figueroa et al 39 Angelin et al 40 Gonçalves et al Ramli et al 43 Turcio et al 44 Gaş et al 45 The sample size of participants for the seven included papers varied between 128 and 325 students, with a total of 1,546 students. The positive students on the Epworth scale for sleepiness were between 43 and 189, totaling 671 students.…”