Examining Anxiety, Sleep Quality, and Physical Activity as Predictors of Depression among University Students from Saudi Arabia during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tahani K. Alshammari, Aljawharah M. Alkhodair, Hanan A. Alhebshi, Aleksandra M. Rogowska, Awatif B. Albaker, Nouf T. AL-Damri, Anfal F. Bin Dayel, Asma S. Alonazi, Nouf M. Alrasheed and Musaad A. Alshammari
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Tahani K. Alshammari: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Aljawharah M. Alkhodair: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Hanan A. Alhebshi: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Aleksandra M. Rogowska: Institute of Psychology, University of Opole, 45-040 Opole, Poland
Awatif B. Albaker: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Nouf T. AL-Damri: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Anfal F. Bin Dayel: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Asma S. Alonazi: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Nouf M. Alrasheed: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Musaad A. Alshammari: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Conducted during the second wave of the pandemic, this cross-sectional study examined the link between sleep quality, physical activity, exposure, and the impact of COVID-19 as predictors of mental health in Saudi undergraduate students. A convenience sample of 207 participants were recruited, 89% of whom were females and 94% were single. The measures included questionnaires on the level of exposure and the perceived impact of COVID-19, a physical activity measure, GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PSQI. The results indicated that approximately 43% of participants exhibited moderate anxiety, and 50% were at risk of depression. Overall, 63.93% of students exposed to strict quarantine for at least 14 days ( n = 39) exhibited a high risk of developing depression (χ 2 (1) = 6.49, p < 0.05, ϕ = 0.18). A higher risk of depression was also found in students whose loved ones lost their jobs (χ 2 (1) = 4.24, p < 0.05, ϕ = 0.14). Moreover, there was also a strong association between depression and anxiety (β = 0.33, p < 0.01), sleep quality (β = 0.32, p < 0.01), and the perceived negative impact of COVID-19 on socio-economic status (β = 0.26, p < 0.05), explaining 66.67% of depression variance. Our study highlights the socio-economic impact of this pandemic and the overwhelming prevalence of depression.

Keywords: depression; anxiety; COVID-19; sleep quality; mental health; university counseling services; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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