Sleep Quality and Mental Health in Students at a Jungle University in Peru: A Cross-sectional Study During COVID-19 Pandemic Confinement

Abstract

Objective

The objective was to evaluate the association between sleep quality and mental health in students at a jungle university in Peru.

Materials and methods

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on university students ≥18 years old during September and November 2020. Mental health status was measured with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The association was assessed using linear regression models, and crude (β_c) and adjusted (β_a) beta regression coefficients with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated.

Results

Two hundred and seventy-nine students were evaluated, 35.1% were 20–21 years old and 56.6% were male. The mean PSQI was 7.9 ± 3.2, and 75.3% presented sleep problems. The mean GHQ-12 was 14.0 ± 6.6, and 57.7% showed suspected psychopathology. The total sleep quality score (β_a = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.11–0.61; p = 0.005), as well as, higher component scores, subjective sleep quality (β_a = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.28–2.87; p = 0.018), sleep duration (β_a = 1.25; 95% CI: 0.35–2.16; p = 0.007), hypnotic medication use (β_a = 1.79; 95% CI: 0.43–3.15; p = 0.010), and daytime dysfunction (β_a = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.10–2.19; p = 0.032), were associated with worse mental health status score.

Conclusion

After 6 months of initiation of COVID-19 confinement, the frequency of sleep disturbance and mental health were elevated. Sleep quality disturbance was associated with worse mental health status.