Daytime sleepiness and academic performance among respiratory therapy students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional survey
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a prevalent concern among health-related students, but its incidence and impact on academic performance remain unexplored in undergraduate respiratory therapy (RT) students in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of EDS and its association with academic performance.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was distributed to RT students from January 5 to March 30, 2023. The prevalence of EDS was calculated using percentages and 95% confidence intervals, and logistic regressions identified associations with sociodemographic, sleep, and academic variables.
Results
Among 925 respondents, EDS prevalence was 32% (95% CI 23–35%). The overall mean ESS score was 8.31 ± 4.4, indicating a normal level of EDS. Current and ex-smokers were more likely to experience EDS than non-smokers [(OR): 3.28 (1.95–5.54), p < 0.001; (OR): 2.61 (1.35–5.07), p = 0.004]. Students with > 3 academic warnings had higher odds of EDS [(OR): 6.4 (1.98–20.71), p = 0.002]. Those napping ≥ 4 times weekly were 15 times more likely to experience EDS [(OR): 15.2 (6.94–33.35), p < 0.001], and students not sleeping before exams were 11 times more likely to report EDS [(OR): 11.3 (1.28–100.52), p = 0.029].
Conclusion
EDS affects a significant proportion of RT students, with several sociodemographic, sleep, and academic factors contributing to susceptibility. Further research is needed to identify primary determinants and develop targeted interventions to mitigate EDS and its impact on academic performance.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a prevalent concern among health-related students, but its incidence and impact on academic performance remain unexplored in undergraduate respiratory therapy (RT) students in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of EDS and its association with academic performance.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was distributed to RT students from January 5 to March 30, 2023. The prevalence of EDS was calculated using percentages and 95% confidence intervals, and logistic regressions identified associations with sociodemographic, sleep, and academic variables.
Results
Among 925 respondents, EDS prevalence was 32% (95% CI 23–35%). The overall mean ESS score was 8.31 ± 4.4, indicating a normal level of EDS. Current and ex-smokers were more likely to experience EDS than non-smokers [(OR): 3.28 (1.95–5.54), p < 0.001; (OR): 2.61 (1.35–5.07), p = 0.004]. Students with > 3 academic warnings had higher odds of EDS [(OR): 6.4 (1.98–20.71), p = 0.002]. Those napping ≥ 4 times weekly were 15 times more likely to experience EDS [(OR): 15.2 (6.94–33.35), p < 0.001], and students not sleeping before exams were 11 times more likely to report EDS [(OR): 11.3 (1.28–100.52), p = 0.029].
Conclusion
EDS affects a significant proportion of RT students, with several sociodemographic, sleep, and academic factors contributing to susceptibility. Further research is needed to identify primary determinants and develop targeted interventions to mitigate EDS and its impact on academic performance.
Date Issued
2025-06-01
Date Acceptance
2025-05-09
Citation
Discover Applied Sciences, 2025, 7 (6)
ISSN
3004-9261
Publisher
Springer
Journal / Book Title
Discover Applied Sciences
Volume
7
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
561
Date Publish Online
2025-05-28