Poor sleep quality and associated factors in university students in Bogotá D.C., Colombia

Poor sleep quality is a common problem in the general population, frequently associated with personal habits and comorbid conditions. University students may be a vulnerable population because of their daily routine, habits and sleep hygiene behavior. There are few related studies on this subject in Colombian undergraduates. The aim of this study is to characterize sleep quality in Colombian university undergraduates and examine possible associated factors.

Cross-sectional study was performed with self-administered questionnaires including demographic data, lifestyle habits, sleep hygiene habits and sleep quality measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The study group included 414 students from different schools enrolled at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia.

Prevalence of poor sleep quality according to PSQI was 58.9%. Multivariate analysis showed an association of poor sleep quality with smoking (OR = 3.17 [1.51-6.66]) and eating in bed (OR = 2.13 [1.31-3.47]), with probable protective factors in sleeping at the same time (OR = 0.37 [0.25-0.59]) and having breakfast 5 or more days of the week (OR = 0.53 [0.31-0.91]).

Poor sleep quality is frequent among undergraduates, regardless of their area of study. The identification of possible related factors may help to design targeted preventive measures, as it is promoting healthy lifestyle habits, adequate sleep hygiene practices and avoiding tobacco use.