Factors associated with sleep quality among "left-behind women" in rural China: a cross-sectional study

The present study aimed to assess the sleep quality of left-behind women in rural China and exploring the factors associated with sleep quality among rural women.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Liaoning province, China. A total of 1591 participants were investigated. The sleep quality of rural women was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI). The data collected included sociodemographic together with psychological factors including depression (CES-D), loneliness (UCLA), social support (PSSS), and resilience (CD-RISC).

The total prevalence rate of poor sleep quality for all participants was 34.54%, the detection rate of poor sleep quality in left-behind women was 51.6%, while it was only 24.3% in nonleft-behind women. The binary logistic regression indicated that the state of left behind was definitely a risk factor for sleep quality. In addition, physical exercise, social support, and resilience had significantly protective effects on sleep quality. Labor pressure, raising children, life events, depression, and loneliness served as risk factors were related to sleep quality.

The general sleep quality of rural left-behind women was not promising in rural China. Urgent attention should be payed to sleep quality of left-behind women. It is very necessary to promote sleep quality of left-behind women by developing public service and mental health system and to provide psychological intervention for those with poor mental health to promote the development of physical and mental health ultimately.