A study to assess the role of gender in sleep quality among medical students of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Author(s): Sanjay Joseph Fernandes1, Sreekanth C2, Chandani Ashok Kumar3, Amar Singh L4, Victor Adharsh A1, Sneha B1
1Department of Anatomy, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences, Port Blair, India.
2Department of Anatomy, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, White Field, Bengaluru, India.
3Department of Community Medicine, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India.
4Department of Anatomy, Shri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Nelamangala, Bengaluru, India.
Copyright © Sanjay Joseph Fernandes, Sreekanth C, Chandani Ashok Kumar, Amar Singh L, Victor Adharsh A, Sneha B. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the impact of sleep on daily activities, academic performance, and various factors influencing sleep quality. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale was used to collect data from 171 randomly selected medical students. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to analyze the data. Results revealed that 40.9% of the study subjects had poor sleep quality, while 59.1% had good sleep quality. No significant association was found between sleep quality and socio-demographic factors or habits. However, statistically significant associations were observed between sleep quality and academic performance indicators, such as feeling of not doing enough, unsatisfactory results, and failing in exams. The study emphasizes the importance of adequate sleep for medical students given their demanding academic and professional roles and suggests that poor sleep quality can negatively impact academic performance. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among medical students may vary across countries due to differences in sample methods, academic stress levels, and social environments. Overall, the findings highlight the need to address sleep-related issues among medical students to improve their well-being and academic success. Further research is required to better understand the complex relationship between sleep quality, gender, socio-demographic factors, and psychological variables.

Keywords: Sleep impact; Sleep quality; Academic performance; Medical students; Prevalence of poor sleep quality.