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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788288
Original Article

Exploring Sleep Patterns in 3,475 College Students: A Comparative Study of Geographical Location, Gender, and Age

Imen Moussa-Chamari 
1   ACTES Laboratory, UFR-STAPS, Université des Antilles, Pointe à Pitre, France
2   Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
,
Mohamed Romdhani 
3   Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Neurosciences, Physiology and Psychology: Physical Activity, Health and Learning (LINP2), UPL, UFR STAPS (Faculty of Sport Sciences), Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
4   Physical Activity, Sport and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sports, Tunis, Tunisia
,
Abdulaziz Farooq 
5   Research Department, Aspetar, Orthomaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Doha, Qatar
,
Khaled Trabelsi 
6   Research Laboratory: Education, Motricité, Sport Et Santé, EM2S, LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
,
Narimen Yousfi 
7   Tunisian Research Laboratory “Sport Performance Optimisation” (LR09SEP01), National Center of Medicine and Science in Sport, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia
,
Karim Kamoun 
4   Physical Activity, Sport and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sports, Tunis, Tunisia
,
Arezou Ahmadian 
8   Psychiatry and Neurology Department, Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
,
Senaid Salem Almarri 
2   Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
,
Karim Chamari 
9   Biological Sciences Department, Higher Institute of Physical Education (ISSEP) of Ksar-Saïd, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia
10   Research Department, Naufar, Wellness and Recovery Center, Doha, Qatar
,
Olivier Hue 
1   ACTES Laboratory, UFR-STAPS, Université des Antilles, Pointe à Pitre, France
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Abstract

Objective Sleep is a fundamental physiological process essential for maintaining overall health and optimal functioning across various cognitive, emotional, and physical domains. To cross-sectionally investigate the sleep pattern among college students according to geographical location, gender, and age.

Materials and Methods A total of 3,475 valid responses, 3,366 from 4 continents (Africa – n = 1,095; America – n = 182; Asia – n = 1,562; Europe – n = 527); 2,075 from female students and 1,369 from male students (n = 3,444), were analyzed. Sleep quality, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness were assessed using validated questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], Insomnia Severity Index [ISI], and Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], respectively).

Results Students from all continents had poor sleep quality, and there were inter-countries differences in sleep quality. The frequency of poor sleep quality and subclinical-to-clinical insomnia were higher among Asian (AsiS) and African students (AfS) compared with American (AmS) and European students (EuS) (p < 0.05). Asian students had a greater frequency of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) compared with those from other continents (p < 0.05). Females showed higher mean ISI scores (p < 0.001) as well as a greater frequency of poor sleep quality (p < 0.05), subclinical-to-clinical insomnia (p < 0.05), and EDS (p < 0.05) compared with males. Insufficient sleep duration was more frequent in older-aged groups (i.e., 26–30, 31–35, and > 36 years) compared with the ≤ 20 years age group (p < 0.05). Excessive daytime sleepiness was more frequent in younger age groups (i.e., ≤ 20 and 21–25 years) versus the > 36 years (p < 0.05) group. There were no significant differences in the frequency of various degrees of insomnia across age groups.

Conclusion Our results suggest the need for tailored interventions for addressing sleep disturbances among college students of all age groups, with a specific focus on AsiS and AfS, as well as female students.

Keywords

community survey - continental population group - Insomnia disorder - Sleeplessness

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The study's protocol (web-based, cross-sectional survey administered in three languages: Arabic, English, and French) (i) received approval from the Ethics Committee of Qatar University (QU-IRB 1510-EA/21), (ii) adheres to the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 and its subsequent amendments), and (iii) ensures anonymity according to the guidelines of the General Data Protection Regulation (gdpr-info.eu). Participation in the study was voluntary, and participants had the right to withdraw from the study at any time without facing any penalties or consequences. Before commencing the survey, participants provided online informed consent for their involvement.


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 08 March 2024

Accepted: 12 June 2024

Article published online:
23 July 2024

© 2024. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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