Prevalence and factors associated with excessive and severe daytime sleepiness among healthcare university students in the Brazilian Midwest

Abstract

Summary The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with excessive and severe daytime sleepiness in healthcare university students. A cross‐sectional university‐based study was conducted with 1,779 students from a university located in the Brazilian Midwest State of Goiás, Brazil, in 2018. Daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and classified as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS; cut‐off ESS score ≥10) and severe EDS (S‐EDS; cut‐off ESS score ≥16). Associated factors included sociodemographic, behavioural, academic, nutritional status, and sleep‐related and perceived health characteristics. Poisson regression was used for the data analysis. The mean (SD) age of the sample was 22.5 (3.84) years. The prevalence of EDS was 54.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 51.9–56.1) and S‐EDS was 10.0% (95% CI 9.2–11.7). After adjustment, a higher probability of occurrence of EDS was found among women (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.24–1.53), younger students (PR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07–1.42), those who were studying medicine (PR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.28), with poor sleep quality (PR 1.29, 95% CI 1.17–1.43), and among those who reported constant loss of sleep due to internet use (PR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.27). After adjustment, the highest probability of occurrence of S‐EDS was found among women (PR 1.72, 95% CI 1.22–2.43), among those with poor sleep quality (PR 2.17, 95% CI 1.54–3.08), and medical students (PR 1.39, 95% CI 1.01–1.90). In conclusion, there was a high prevalence of daytime sleepiness among healthcare university students, especially among medical students and women.

Chronotype, Daytime Sleepiness, and Related Factors Effects on Skipping Classroom among Medical Students in Tabuk

“…Our results contradict Abdulghani and [22], who published a study in Malaysia and found more daytime sleepiness among women. Similarly, our results also contradict the findings of a recent study that reported a high excessive daytime sleepiness (54.4%), especially among women [23]. Excessive daytime sleepiness might be due to poor sleep quality or duration.…”

Excessive daytime sleepiness in nursing technicians: association with sleep quality and memory

“…These studies reported a EDS prevalence ranging between 8.5% and 33% ( 2 , 18 ) . However, in the Brazilian context, research carried out with university students in the health field identified an EDS prevalence of 54.4% ( 19 ) , higher than that found in the present study. These results demonstrate the variability of EDS prevalence according to the population assessed, indicating the importance of specifically assessing the occurrence of this problem among nursing technicians.…”

“…Esses estudos relataram uma prevalência de SDE variando entre 8,5% e 33% ( 2 , 18 ) . No entanto, em contexto brasileiro, pesquisa realizada com estudantes universitários da área da saúde identificou prevalência de 54,4% de SDE ( 19 ) , superior ao encontrado no presente estudo. Esses resultados demonstram a variabilidade de prevalência de SDE de acordo com a população avaliada, indicando a importância de avaliar especificamente a ocorrência desse problema entre técnicos de enfermagem.…”

Nível De Sonolência Diurna Em Estudantes De Medicina Da Zona Da Mata Mineira

“…A análise dos resultados obtidos pela ESE não apenas identifica estudantes propensos à SDE e SE, mas também fornece uma base para orientá-los na busca por tratamento adequado. Este artigo se propõe a examinar a prevalência de sonolência diurna entre estudantes de Medicina da Zona da Mata Mineira, destacando os fatores contribuintes e discutindo as implicações para a saúde e bem-estar dessa população (SILVA et al;. Num contexto mais amplo, a insuficiência de sono entre estudantes universitários é um fenômeno relevante, respaldado por estudos que evidenciam a dificuldade de manutenção de horários regulares de sono nesse grupo (GARCÍA et al, 2019).…”