Female College Students Suffering from Insomnia... Deterioration of Sleep Quality During the Pandemic

Growing Anxiety Over COVID-19 Infection
Sleep Quality Lower Than Male Students

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one in three university students have shown a 'poor' level of sleep quality. In particular, female students experienced a greater decline in sleep quality.

On the 28th, according to the Korea Food Communication Forum (KOFRUM), Professor Oh Ji-hyun's team from the Department of Nursing at Kongju National University revealed findings on university students' 'sleep quality' in a paper titled "Factors Affecting Sleep Quality of University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study."

The survey was conducted in July 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, targeting 310 students from three universities nationwide. The research team referenced the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), where a lower total score from seven questions indicates better sleep quality. The index ranges from 0 to 21 points, with scores below 5 considered 'good' sleep quality and scores of 5 or above considered 'poor.'

[Image source=Pixabay]

The results showed that the average sleep quality score among university students was 4.8, placing them near the borderline. Students with a PSQI score of 5 or higher accounted for 34.2% of the total. Additionally, female students had an average sleep quality score of 4.9, worse than the 4.3 average score of male students. The research team analyzed that university students have fears and uncertainties about infection following COVID-19.

Professor Oh Ji-hyun used the "Fear of COVID-19 Scale" (FCV-19S) to assess fear related to COVID-19. This tool consists of seven questions, each scored from 1 to 5, with a total possible score ranging from 7 to 35. Higher scores indicate greater fear of COVID-19.

As a result, the average fear score of COVID-19 among university students was 14 points. Female students scored higher at 14.2 points compared to 13.1 points for male students.

Furthermore, concerns about uncertainty among university students increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The research team pointed out, "Fear of infection and uncertainty after COVID-19 were factors that lowered university students' sleep quality," adding, "Limitations in knowledge about COVID-19 treatment, unpredictability of infection, and disruptions to daily and social life can all contribute to uncertainty."