Assessment of sleep quality among physiotherapists using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): A pilot study

BackgroundSleep quality is essential for maintaining health and work performance. However, it remains understudied among healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, who are exposed to occupational demands that may impair sleep, even without night shifts.ObjectiveThis pilot study aimed to assess sleep quality among physiotherapists and explore its associations with occupational and lifestyle factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 22 physiotherapists employed at the Clinic for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina Novi Sad, Serbia. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and a custom questionnaire collected data on age, gender, work tenure, sport participation and commuting habits. Non-parametric statistical methods (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman's correlation) were used. All participants provided informed consent, and ethical standards were followed.ResultsThe median age was 39.8 ± 10.9 years; 81.8% were female, with a mean work tenure of 15.7 ± 11.5 years. The average PSQI score was 7.0 ± 2.8, indicating poor sleep quality. Poorer sleep quality was significantly associated with longer work tenure (p = 0.003) and commuting by bicycle (p = 0.027). Gender and sport participation showed no significantly association with sleep quality (p > 0.05).ConclusionsDespite the absence of night shifts, physiotherapists in this study exhibited poor sleep quality. Longer work tenure and active commuting may contribute to this issue. Further research with larger samples is needed to clarify causal relationships and inform sleep-related interventions targeting healthcare professionals.