Background: Poor sleep quality is associated with various health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and death. Although the epidemiology of poor sleep has been well described internationally, few studies investigated its prevalence in Saudi Arabia. 

Methods:  We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence of poor sleep in three primary healthcare clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected along with self-reported sleep characteristics, including subjective sleep quality, sleep duration and latency, were also recorded. We used the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality, with lower scores indicating better sleep quality. We considered an overall PSQI score > 5 to indicate poor sleep quality. We also evaluated health-related quality of life (QoL) via the health-related quality-of-life questionnaire short-form SF-12 Health Survey (SF-12).

Results: Between [October], 2020, and [January], 2021, we enrolled 400 participants who met all eligibility criteria. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of participants was 36 (26-46) years, and 206 (52%) were male. We found that 49.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]= 44-55%) of 331 participants with valid data were considered as poor sleepers (PSQI>5). The median (IQR) PSQI score was 5 (3-8). Male sex (mean difference [MD]: -0.98, 95% CI = -1.70 to - 0.26, P=0.008), employed participants (MD: -0.78, 95% CI = -1.51 to - 0.05, P= 0.04) and physically active patients (MD:-1.0, 95% CI = -1.72 to - 0.28, P=0.007) were associated with significantly lower mean PSQI scores. QoL was inversely associated with PSQI scores (b: -0.78 units, 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.61, P<0.001).

Conclusions: The prevalence of poor sleep quality is high among Saudi patients served by the primary care setting. There is a direct association between sleep quality and QoL. Our results may have implications for health promotion interventions and policy programs to prevent sleep disorders and improve sleep quality in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Sleep quality, Health related quality of life, Saudi Arabia

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Ahlam Saad Al-Mutairi

Family Medicine Resident, PO Box. 13223-6600, Riyadh 13223, Kingdome of Saudi Arabia