Sleep Medicine: X (Dec 2022)

Sleep quality of Singapore residents: findings from the 2016 Singapore mental health study

  • Ying Ying Lee,
  • Jue Hua Lau,
  • Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar,
  • Rajeswari Sambasivam,
  • Saleha Shafie,
  • Boon Yiang Chua,
  • Wai Leng Chow,
  • Edimansyah Abdin,
  • Mythily Subramaniam

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4
p. 100043

Abstract

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Given the importance of sleep for physical and mental wellbeing, it is crucial to understand the extent of insomnia among community dwellers. However, there is a paucity of population wide epidemiological studies to estimate the prevalence of poor sleep quality. This present study aimed to 1) characterize the sleep quality of a nationally representative sample (n = 6126) of Singapore residents using Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and 2) identify the sociodemographic correlates of poor sleep in this population. A total of 27.6% of respondents reported poor sleep quality (PSQI score ≥5). Sociodemographic correlates of poor sleep quality in the Singapore population included, but were not limited to, females (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.77, p-value = 0.001), Malays (vs Chinese) (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.23 to 1.9, p-value < 0.001), Indians (vs Chinese) (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.47, p-value = 0.03), ex-smokers (vs non-smokers) (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.92, p-value = 0.02), persons with comorbid mental health conditions (vs no mental health conditions) (AOR = 14.11, 95% CI = 6.52 to 30.54, p-value < 0.01), and persons with physical multimorbidity (vs no physical conditions) (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.24 to 2.15, p-value < 0.001). The prevalence of poor sleep in Singapore is comparable to that of other countries in the Asian region. Targeted public health campaigns to psycho-educate vulnerable groups on the importance of good sleep hygiene may improve the overall wellbeing of residents in Singapore.

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