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Medical students' attitudes toward sleeping pill usage: A cross-sectional study
Moudi M Alasmari1,2, Raghad S Alkanani1, Asmaa S Alshareef1
1College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|January 6, 2023
Summary
Medical students frequently misuse sleeping pills, with self-prescription being common. Preclinical students and those using stimulants show higher misuse rates, highlighting the need for increased awareness.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Medical students face significant stress, impacting sleep and increasing the risk of sleeping pill misuse.
- Understanding the prevalence and factors associated with sleeping pill misuse is critical for student well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate medical students' attitudes toward sleeping pill usage.
- To determine the prevalence of sleeping pill misuse among medical students.
- To identify factors associated with sleeping pill misuse in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing a self-administered online questionnaire.
- Survey conducted among 338 medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.
- Data analysis focused on usage patterns, misuse prevalence, and associated demographic and behavioral factors.
Main Results:
- 84 out of 338 participants (24.85%) reported using sleeping pills.
- The prevalence of sleeping pill misuse was 26.63% (n=90), with self-prescription being the most common behavior (n=72, 21.30%).
- Factors associated with misuse included stimulant use (92%), high GPA (84%), preclinical years (69.3%), and longer sleep onset latency (70.7%).
Conclusions:
- Sleeping pill misuse is prevalent among medical students, especially those in preclinical years.
- Educational interventions, including campaigns and curriculum integration, are essential to raise awareness about the dangers of sleeping pill misuse.
- Targeted interventions may be needed for students using stimulants or experiencing sleep difficulties.
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