Association between Quality of Life and Eveningness as well as Sleep Quality among Medical Students

Chang, Hong Kyeung; Lee, So Jin; Park, Chul Soo; Kim, Bong Jo; Lee, Cheol Soon; Cha, Boseok; Lee, Dongyun; Seo, Ji Yeong

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
We investigated whether sleep behaviors, severity of insomnia and circadian typology are associated with quality of life among Gyeongsang National University (GNU) medical students.
METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to 46 fourth-year students of GNU Medical School. The hospital anxiety-depression scale, insomnia severity index (ISI), morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were used.
RESULTS
Quality of life in terms of physical health was associated with age, weekday total sleep time (TST), weekend TST, catch up sleep, depression, ISI score, and MEQ score. Quality of life in terms of psychological health was correlated to weekday and weekend TST, anxiety, ISI score and MEQ score. Sex, weekday TST, depression, and ISI score were revealed to influence the social aspect of quality of life, and weekday and weekend TST, and ISI score were associated with quality of life in terms of environment. Multiple regression analysis showed that better sleep quality predicted to a higher quality of life in terms of physical, psychological and environmental health, and eveningness was associated with a better quality of life in terms of physical and psychological health.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that physical, psychological, and environmental aspects of quality of life were associated with quality of sleep and that physical and psychological aspects of quality of life were related to eveningness in GNU medical students. Therefore, it is equally important to treat emotional problem as well as improve sleep quality.