Restless legs syndrome and its associated factors among Jordanian medical students: a cross-sectional study

We investigated the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) among Jordanian medical students and its association with stress, anxiety, smoking, caffeine use, study habits, and academic performance.

A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024 among medical students in the Jordanian public universities. Participants were selected to complete a questionnaire (based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for RLS) through convenience and snowball sampling.

Among the 215 participants, 11 men and 13 women met the diagnostic criteria for RLS based on their questionnaire responses; the prevalence of RLS was 11.2%. Among these 24 participants, 66.7% reported worsened symptoms during examination periods; 79.1% reported worsened symptoms when experiencing daytime stress; 62.5% reported improved symptoms following physical activity; 66.7% reported that RLS symptoms affected sleep quality; and 45.8% reported having a concomitant anxiety disorder. Meeting the criteria for RLS was not associated with sex, academic stage (basic vs clinical), smoking status, or academic performance.

RLS is not uncommon among medical students in Jordan. Greater awareness of RLS is needed for prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent associated negative impacts.