Prevalence and risk factors of poor sleep quality and fatigue during exam periods in university students

Background University students are likely to have poor sleep quality and fatigue, affecting academic and psychological well-being. Aims and Objectives To assess if and how sleep quality and fatigue are affected in university students of different Tertiary Institutions during an academic exam period and to identify possible associated factors. Methods A Web-based survey was completed by 517 students of 20 different Tertiary Institutions (response rate 83.7%), containing questions about demographics, sleep habits, exercise habits, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol use, subjective sleep quality (using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - PSQI) and fatigue (Fatigue severity scale – FSS) at the beginning of the semester and on examination period. Results The study group consisted of 328 (63.4%) females and 189 (36.6%) males with mean age 21.3±2.5 years. PSQI global and FSS scores were significantly elevated at exam period compared to pre-exam period (5.9±2.7 vs 5.4±2.5, p Conclusions Our results indicate that sleep quality and fatigue are affected in university students during academic exam periods. Potential factors were identified which may lead to development of strategies in order to promote a better quality of sleep.