Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality of frontline healthcare workers

ABSTRACT

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, which was brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, has had a significant negative influence on our environment and exposed health-care personnel to a new level of risk. Very few studies have addressed the disturbances in the sleep quality of healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Aim and Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to examine the sleep quality of frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care center in northern Kerala. Materials and Methods: Healthcare workers belonging to a tertiary care center were invited to participate in the study. An online questionnaire including sociodemographics, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and Insomnia severity index was used to evaluate sleep disturbances in healthcare workers. Univariate and bivariate analysis of the results were done to identify the predictors of poor sleep quality. Results: A total of 250 frontline healthcare workers were enrolled in the study, out of which 243 participants provided usable responses. About 27.6% of health workers showed features of poor sleep quality. The prevalence rate of poor sleep quality was highest among nurses, 55.2% followed by doctors and ambulance drivers, 22.4% and 11.9%, respectively. About 17.7% of the study population had subthreshold insomnia and 1.2% had clinical insomnia of moderate intensity. Conclusion: The prevalence of poor sleep quality is high among healthcare workers confronting COVID pandemic. This study emphasizes the need to implement specific protective measures for maintaining the sleep quality and decreasing stress among frontline health care workers during pandemics.