Sleep quality, stress level and COVID-19 in university students; the forgotten dimension

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 is a novel pandemic that has had a profound impact on global physical and psychological health. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on stress, sleep quality, and insomnia among South Valley University students in Egypt during the quarantine period. Material and Methods: A questionnaire, including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, the insomnia severity index, the perceived stress scale and COVID-19 fear index was distributed to the undergraduate students through the online platforms of South Valley University during the period of 1st to 15th June 2020. Results: Of a total respondent sample of 2,474 students, 24.5% had high-perceived stress levels, 31.3% had clinical insomnia, and about 80% were identified as generally poor sleepers by the PSQI. Being female, having a chronic disease, having a sleep disorder before the quarantine, or consuming caffeine were the main factors associated with high stress levels, clinical insomnia, and poor sleep quality. Also, levels of fear of COVID-19 were higher among people with high stress levels, clinical insomnia, and poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Considerable levels of stress and poor sleep quality were identified among undergraduate university students during the pandemic/home isolation period. The effect was more obvious among certain demographic groups and among the students who scored higher in the fear of COVID-19 scale.

Association between Sleep Quality and Physical Activity in Physical Education Students in Chile in the Pandemic Context: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the case of university students, this is characterized by high levels of sedentary behaviors and low levels of physical activity [ 28 , 29 ], which has increased due to the pandemic [ 30 ]. In this context, a study conducted during the first months of the pandemic showed high levels of poor sleep quality in the university population, and this variable was significantly higher in women [ 31 , 32 ].…”

“…The practice of physical activity and adequate levels of physical fitness are essential to maintain good conditions of body functions during the pandemic [ 31 ]. This is relevant because some studies have indicated that there are preferences in the mode and type of physical activity performed according to gender, with women being the most affected since they prefer group activities, which were prohibited by health measures [ 35 , 36 ].…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Consequences on Medical Students’ Sleep Patterns and Technology Addiction

“…The influence of stress on sleep quality in students was investigated by a study conducted in Egypt and revealed that the level of stress is considered moderate in 69% of the subjects, 24.5% have a high level of stress, while only 6.5% have a low perception of stress [39].…”

Academic performance, physical activity, sleep and gender in university students during the pandemic-2020

“…Al respecto, las recomendaciones de sueño indican que las personas adultas (18 a 60 años) deberían dormir entre 7 a 9 horas diarias (Watson et al, 2015). Estudios de diseño transversal, efectuados antes y durante la pandemia, han mostrado que la prevalencia de mala calidad del sueño en población universitaria es significativamente mayor en las mujeres (Dongol et al, 2022;Fatima et al, 2016).…”

“…Se ha evidenciado que ser físicamente activo es beneficioso para percibir menos estrés, menos problemas en el sueño y favorecer su calidad, especialmente entre aquellos que se han expuesto al trabajo remoto (Lipert et al, 2021). Por otra parte, la evidencia disponible, muestra diferencias según género en la prevalencia de actividad física (McCarthy & Warne, 2022) y calidad de sueño (Dongol et al, 2022;Fatima et al, 2016) en población joven y adulta. Entre los universitarios, los estudiantes de Pedagogía en Educación Física se caracterizan por ser físicamente activos (Almagià Flores et al, 2009;Godoy Cumillaf et al, 2021;Ruiz et al, 2012); por tanto, son una población de interés para analizar estos factores durante el transcurso académico.…”