Relationship of Physical Activity with Sleep Disturbance and Anxiety in Medical Students of Sahiwal

Abstract

Background: Physical activity has been shown to have anxiolytic effects, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall student mental health. Despite these benefits, medical students often have limited time for physical activity due to demanding academic schedules and clinical rotations. Objective: To examine the relationship between physical activity, sleep disturbance, and anxiety among medical students in Sahiwal. Methods: This observational study was conducted over six months among medical students in Sahiwal. A simple random sample of 280 university students, aged 19-25 years and from the 3rd to 5th years of study, was selected. Participants completed three standardized questionnaires: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess physical activity, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to measure anxiety levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, with descriptive statistics summarizing demographic data and key variables. The Chi-square test of association was used to determine the relationships between physical activity levels (IPAQ scores), sleep quality (PSQI scores), and anxiety levels (GAD-7 scores), with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 22.24 ± 1.285 years. Among the 280 students, 207 (73.9%) were females and 73 (26.1%) were males. Anxiety levels were as follows: 39 (13.9%) had mild anxiety, 124 (44.3%) had moderate anxiety, 76 (27.1%) had moderately severe anxiety, and 41 (14.6%) had severe anxiety. Physical activity levels were: 144 (51.4%) had low physical activity, 79 (28.2%) had moderate physical activity, and 57 (20.4%) had high physical activity. A significant association was found between GAD-7 and IPAQ levels (Chi-square value = 60.691, p = 0.031). No significant association was found between PSQI and IPAQ levels (Chi-square value = 22.162, p = 0.680). Conclusion: This study highlights the significant relationship between physical activity and anxiety among medical students, suggesting that regular physical activity is associated with reduced anxiety symptoms. However, no significant relationship was observed between physical activity and sleep quality.