Sleep quality and more common sleep-related problems in medical students.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to conduct a survey based on a questionnaire that would characterize nighttime and daytime habits in medical students; to estimate how subjective sleep quality is associated with nighttime and daytime habits and sleep problems in students; to estimate how academic progress and workload is associated with subjective sleep quality, nighttime and daytime habits and sleep problems in students; and to estimate the prevalence of self-reported sleep problems in Estonian medical students.


METHODS
The study group included 413 medical students of the University of Tartu, aged 19-33 years. The self-reported Sleep and Daytime Habits Questionnaire (S&DHQ) covered demographic characteristics (4 questions) and sleep and daytime habits (24 questions). Of the latter, 18 multiple-choice questions provided answers expressed as discontinuous variables on a nominal scale, 4 questions provided answers expressed as continuous variables on an interval scale, and 2 questions provided answers expressed as quality characterization on a five-point scale. The supplement includes information about lifestyle and academic progress on a four-point scale.


RESULTS
The S & DHQ could be used to study sleep problems in young medical students. The subjective sleep quality of students was as follows: excellent-29%; good-40%; satisfactory-24%; poor 6%; very poor-1%. Sleep quality is associated with academic progress (R=0.174; P<0.001), leisure activity (R=0.210; P<0.001), and living conditions (R=0.195; P<0.001). Sleep quality is not associated with students' daily (R=0.021; P>0.05) or nightly workload (R=0.0664; P>0.05). Daytime sleepiness poses a significant problem for students and is associated both with sleep disorders and work while studying.


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrates that complaints about sleep problems are common in young medical students.
Veldi
Marlit
M
Ear Clinic of Tartu University Clinic, Kuperjanovi, 1, 51003 Tartu, Estonia. marlit.veldi@kliinikum.ee
Aluoja
Anu
A
Vasar
Veiko
V
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires