Changes in sleep quality among Chinese active service personnel: A cross-temporal meta-analysis, 2003-2019

Military personnel live in operating environments in which poor sleep is common. In this cross-temporal meta-analysis (CTMA), 100 studies (144 data sets, N = 75,998) were identified to examine changes in sleep quality among Chinese active service personnel from 2003 to 2019. Participants were divided into three groups: the navy, the non-navy, and the unknown service. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used as the measure of sleep quality; it contains a global score and seven component scores, with higher scores indicative of poorer sleep. Among all active military personnel, the PSQI global and seven component scores decreased from 2003 to 2019. In examining the results by military type, the PSQI global and seven component scores increased in the navy group. Conversely, both the non-navy and unknown-service groups showed decreased PSQI global scores over time. Similarly, all PSQI component scores decreased over time for both the non-navy and unknown service groups, except for the use of sleeping medication (USM), which increased in the non-navy group. In conclusion, the sleep quality of Chinese active service personnel showed a positive trend. Further research should focus on improving the navy's sleep quality.