Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the quality of life across all segments of society, including mental health. The prevalence of sleep disorders reported across various studies varies by region, reaching up to 34%–40%. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) among individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using an online survey questionnaire among adults who had previously contracted COVID-19 at least one month before the time of the survey and were residing in Districts 8, 10, and Binh Tan, Ho Chi Minh City. The diagnostic threshold for sleep disorder was defined as a PSQI score of ≥5. Results: A total of 429 participants took part in the survey, 48.7% of whom were male, with a mean age of 40.8 years. The proportions of participants from District 8, District 10, and Binh Tan District were 33.1%, 31.9%, and 35%, respectively. A total of 34.3% had underlying medical conditions. The average number of household members who had contracted COVID-19 was 3.4. A total of 8.9% had a family member who died from COVID-19. The prevalence of sleep disorders was 38%, comprising 27.3% with mild sleep disturbance, 8.8% with moderate sleep disturbance, and 1.9% with severe sleep disturbance. The proportion reporting relatively poor subjective sleep quality was 17.3%, and very poor was 4.4%. The mean global PSQI score among those with sleep disorders was 9.3 ± 3.1. Significant differences were observed between the groups with and without sleep disorders in mean sleep latency, mean wake-up time, mean number of hours of sleep per night, all 7/7 components of the PSQI, and the global PSQI score. One-third of participants reported feeling non-refreshed and experiencing loss of interest in work. Factors associated with an increased risk of sleep disorders included female sex (p = 0.004; OR = 1.78, 95% CI: [1.2–2.64]), being married (p = 0.023; OR = 2.3, 95% CI: [1.1–4.9]), and having an underlying medical condition (p = 0.002; OR = 1.93, 95% CI: [1.28–2.9]). Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disorders among individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection is higher than in the general population, particularly among women, married individuals, and those with underlying medical conditions; however, the majority of cases were of mild severity.
