Factors Affecting Sleep Quality among Nursing Students in One College of Nursing

Abstract

The purposes of this predictive research were to examine factors affecting sleep quality among nursing students. The samples consisted of 150 1st - 3rd year nursing students in one College of Nursing, in an academic year of 2014. The research instruments consisted of a questionnaire of personal factors, an assessment form of environmental factors with the reliability of .70, an assessment form of sleep habits with the reliability of .70, Suanprung Stress Test with the reliability of .91, and the Thai version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with the reliability of .70. Data were collected from September to November, 2014. Statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, Pearson’s product moment correlation, and stepwise multiple regression.

The results revealed that 1) most of the nursing students had average scores of environmental factors, sleep habits, and stress at the moderate level (58%, 52%, and 47.30%, respectively); 2) most of the nursing students had a poor sleep quality (78%); 3) the factors statistically significant related to sleep quality were as follows—environmental factors (r = .307, p < .001), sleep habits (r = .166, p < .05), and stress (r = .299, p < .001), and 4) environmental factors, sleep habits, and stress could co-predict sleep quality by 17.40% (R² = .174, p < .01).

This study suggested that in order to promote sleep quality of nursing students, the modification of dormitory environment, the enhancement of good sleep habits, and stress management should be taken into consideration.