Exploring the Role of Gender and Age as Determinants of Sleep Quality among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Investigation

Abstract

University students are among those that are commonly identified as being at high risk of poor sleep quality, yet sleep is a key determinant for cognitive, emotional and physical health. The study explored poor sleep quality among university students and determined if sleep quality was related to gender and age. Sample consisted of 285 male and 149 female university students, between the ages of 18 and 26 years, completed a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysse et al., 1989) as well as a demographic information sheet. Results showed that the vast majority (74.2%) showed severe sleep disturbance, 20.7% had mild sleep disturbance and only 5.1% had good sleep quality. The chi-square test of independence indicated that there was no statistically significant relationship between gender and sleep quality category. However, a statistically significant relationship was found between age group and sleep quality with severe sleep disturbance scores being highest in the 24-26 year old age group. The results highlight the ubiquity of poor sleep in university students and indicate that it may be more important to consider age-related academic and psychosocial demands than gender as a stand-alone factor in defining poor sleep among university students. Possible implications for school-based sleep health screening and intervention are discussed.