Prevalence of Insomnia and Associated Factors in Female Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Insomnia places significant physical and psychological burdens on female cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, affecting their quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of insomnia and its associated factors in female outpatients receiving chemotherapy.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with female cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The questionnaire included items assessing sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Insomnia was measured using the Insomnia Severity Index.

A total of 206 female patients undergoing chemotherapy were included, with a mean age of 56.1 years (SD ± 11.7). The most common cancer types were breast (57.3%), gastrointestinal (22.8%), and gynecological malignancies (19.9%). Based on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), 34.0% of participants had subclinical insomnia and 17.0% had clinical insomnia. Increasing age was significantly associated with lower insomnia severity (aOR: 0.971; 95% CI: 0.945-0.998; p = 0.038). Among gynecological cancer patients, insomnia was more prevalent in those receiving treatment for metastatic disease (76.2% vs 35.0%). Psychiatric conditions (depression and/or anxiety) requiring medication and the presence of pain were both significantly associated with higher rates of insomnia (p < 0.001 for both).

Insomnia was highly prevalent among female cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Younger age, presence of pain, psychiatric comorbidities (particularly depression and/or anxiety), and metastatic disease status emerged as significant correlates. Considering the relationship between insomnia and physical and psychological distress, it is anticipated that regular screening and treatment approaches for insomnia will contribute to the holistic cancer care process by improving patient quality of life.