ABSTRACT
Objective@#To describe the prevalence and association of sleep quality and anxiety-depression co-morbid symptoms among nursing students, in order to provide a reference basis for promoting the development of nursing students mental health.@*Methods@#Using a prospective study design, baseline survey was conducted in January 2019 among a random cluster sample of 1 716 individuals in three medical universities in Hefei, Anhui Province, and a follow-up survey was conducted in October 2019, with a valid number of 1 573 individuals after matching with the baseline survey. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess nursing students sleep quality, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess the anxiety-depression comorbid symptoms.@*Results@#The detection rates of anxiety-depression co-morbidities among nursing students at baseline and follow-up survey were 16.9% and 18.2%, respectively, and the detection rates of poor sleep quality among nursing students at baseline and follow-up survey were 10.1% and 10.3%, respectively. The results of the binary Logistic regression model showed that baseline PSQI score were positively associated with the risk of anxiety-depression co-morbid symptoms among nursing students at baseline ( OR=1.49, 95%CI =1.40-1.59) and after nine months of follow-up ( OR=1.22, 95%CI =1.16-1.28). Furthermore, the influence of baseline sleep quality on the risk of anxiety-depression co-morbid symptoms were mainly concentrated in the five dimensions of sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disorders, hypnotic drugs and daytime dysfunction, and such effects of sleep time, sleep disorders and daytime dysfunction still existed in the follow-up investigation.@*Conclusion@#Poor sleep quality of nursing students can increase the risk of anxiety-depression co-morbidities. Improving sleep quality of nursing students has a positive effect on improving their mental health.