Prevalence of Sleep Disturbance and Potential Associated Factors among Medical Students from Mashhad, Iran

Study Objectives. A very limited number of studies have evaluated the prevalence of sleep problems, and related factors, in Iranian medical students. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sleep disturbance and potential associated factors among medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 315 medical students chosen by stratified random sampling participated in the academic year 2018-2019. The Pittsburgh Instrument and DASS-21 questionnaire were used to evaluate sleep quality and anxiety, depression, and stress, respectively. Also, demographic, educational, and socioeconomic information was collected. SPSS 16 software was used for data analysis. Results. Out of 300 students who completed the questionnaires, 165 (55%) were male, with a mean age of 21.94±2.28 years old. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 51.3%. We did not find significant associations among age, sex, and poor sleep quality. Concurrent psychological symptoms such as stress, depression, and anxiety were significantly associated with sleep disorders. After adjusting variables in the multivariable regression model, depression (OR=2.81, 95% CI: 1.35-5.87; p=0.006) and the number of hours spent on using smartphones in 24 hours (OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.25; p=0.01) were significantly associated with poor sleep quality among medical students. Conclusion. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among medical students was high, and we found that increased use of smartphones during the day and depression were associated with sleep disorders.