Sleep Quality between Nurses and the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal: What Are the Differences?

Francisco Sampaio (), Susana Gaspar, César Fonseca, Manuel José Lopes, Teresa Paiva and Lara Guedes de Pinho ()
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Francisco Sampaio: Nursing School of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 830, 844, 856, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Susana Gaspar: School of Health, Polytechnic Institute of Beja, R. Dr. José Correia Maltez, 7800-111 Beja, Portugal
César Fonseca: Nursing Department, Universidade de Évora, Largo do Senhor da Pobreza, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal
Manuel José Lopes: Nursing Department, Universidade de Évora, Largo do Senhor da Pobreza, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal
Teresa Paiva: CENC—Sleep Medicine Center, Rua Conde das Antas, 5, 1070-068 Lisboa, Portugal
Lara Guedes de Pinho: Nursing Department, Universidade de Évora, Largo do Senhor da Pobreza, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Although several studies have described the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on sleep quality, there are few studies that, in the same time period and using the same assessment tools, compare sleep quality and mental health status between nurses and the general population. Thus, the aim of this study was to (a) examine whether there were differences between nurses and the general population regarding sleep quality and mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) identify which factors may explain sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do that, we carried out a cross-sectional study in Portugal. Data were collected using an online survey platform during the first COVID-19 wave, from April to August 2020. Nurses presented poorer sleep quality than the general population, as well as higher anxiety levels. Irritability and worries about the future were two of the factors that might explain those differences. Thus, we can conclude that irritability and worries about the future are dimensions of anxiety that were associated with poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it would be important to adopt regular anxiety and sleep assessments, particularly for nurses, and to implement strategies to reduce this problem.

Keywords: sleep quality; mental health; nurses; population; COVID-19; pandemics; Portugal; cross-sectional studies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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