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Abstract
Background: Poor sleep quality among medical students may affect their overall well-being and academic performance. This study aimed to determine sleep quality among a cohort of undergraduate medical students at one institution during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was done using the validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the second half of 2021 at one medical school in South Africa. Demographic information (gender, age, marital status, pre-clinical/clinical years of study and living arrangements) were obtained. An email with a link to an online survey was sent to all registered students in the undergraduate medical programme.
Results: Data from 164 participants were analysed (response rate 19.0%), with a median age of 20.5 years. The population were mainly female (68.5%) and included pre-clinical (26.9%) and clinical (13.0%) students. The overall sleep quality index was poor among 64.5% of participants, with a median sleep duration of six hours per night. Anxiety and stress were the most common reasons reported for sleep disturbances. No statistically significant differences in sleep quality were found between pre-clinical and clinical students.
Conclusion: Poor sleep quality may lead to impaired academic performance and poorer mental health among medical students. This should be addressed by including sleep education when planning interventions to improve the overall well-being of future healthcare professionals.
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Copyright (c) 2025 LJ van der Merwe, C van Rooyen, M du Toit, H Geldenhuys, R Human, O Matshediso, R Rodriguez, B van der Vyfer, C van der Merwe, A Uys