ABSTRACT
Background: sleep is one of the basic requirements of human and any disruption in the normal flow of sleep, in addition to causing psychological problems, can also reduce a person's performance
Objective: This study was aimed to determine the relationship between the sleep quality and body mass index in chemical warfare victims with bronchiolitis obliterans
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the respiratory clinic of Baqiyatallah Hospital in winter of 2007. A total of 93 victims of chemical warfare with bronchiolitis obliterans referred to the respiratory clinic were selected by nonprobability and convenience sampling method. Body mass index, as a variable impact on quality of sleep, was evaluated for its relationship with sleep quality. Sleep quality was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistics including Spearman's rank correlation, chi-square test, and the independent-samples t-test
Findings: Over 95% of subjects had undesirable sleep quality and the rest [4.4%] with desirable sleep quality. The mean BMI was 26.68 +/- 3.88. Of total population, 65.6% were overweight or obese. There was no significant correlation between sleep quality and BMI [P>0.05]. A significant correlation between the psychological disorders and undesirable sleep quality was found [P<0.05]
Conclusion: According to the data obtained, future studies regarding the psychological disorders and treatment protocols to improve the quality of sleep in chemical warfare victims are recommended