Factors Associated with Poor Sleep among Young People in Mauritius: A Survey-Based Study

Background: Poor sleep quality among young people is a global health concern. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of poor sleep among young people in Mauritius, and to investigate associated contributory factors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 202 questionnaires were completed during face-to-face interviews with participants aged between 14 and 29 years. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure sleep quality. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was utilized to evaluate daytime sleepiness, and the Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS) was used to assess sleep hygiene. Results: The mean global PSQI was 4.81 (95%CI: 4.4, 5.22). The prevalence of poor sleep quality (global PSQI score > 5) was 30.7%. Our results showed that 35.6% of the participants slept less than seven hours over a period of one month. Young people of the male gender reported better sleep quality than those of the female gender (p=0.008), and sleep quality was significantly associated with longer sleep duration (p<0.0001), pre-bedtime relaxing activities (p=0.01), and daytime physical exercise of more than 20 minutes (p=0.001). In contrast, alcohol consumption after 18:00 (p<0.0001), tobacco smoking after 18:00 (p<0.0001), pre-bedtime awakening activities (p=0.001), and poor sleep environment (p<0.0001) negatively influenced sleep quality. Conclusion: This study showed that an important percentage of young people had poor sleep quality. This was observed to be associated to several modifiable factors. These initial results can help to guide further research on sleep quality in Mauritius.