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The sleep quality of medical students in China: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

Sleep quality of medical students has generated conflicting results in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sleep quality of medical students in China by meta-analysis. Electronic databases were searched for studies concerning the sleep quality of medical students using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) published before March 6, 2017. Pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated with fixed or random effect models depending on the heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and publication bias were also performed. Eleven studies (7154 medical students and 9073 non-medical students) were included in this meta-analysis. The sleep quality of medical students was significantly higher in scores of subjective sleep quality (WMD, 0.137; 95% CI 0.049–0.224; P = 0.002), sleep duration (WMD, 0.147; 95% CI 0.069–0.225; P < 0.001), daytime dysfunction (WMD, 0.194; 95% CI 0.077–0.311; P = 0.001) and the total scores (WMD, 0.524; 95% CI 0.152–0.896; P = 0.006). On the contrary, there was no significant difference in sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and use of sleeping medications. This meta-analysis indicates that the sleep quality of medical students is worse than non-medical students in China. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm these findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China

    Dandan Yu, Qiongqiong Ren, Bao Dong, Dongdong Zhao & Yehuan Sun

  2. Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

    Yehuan Sun

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  1. Dandan Yu
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  3. Bao Dong
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Correspondence to Yehuan Sun.

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41105_2017_118_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Fig. S1 Sensitivity analysis of subjective sleep quality between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

Fig. S2 Sensitivity analysis of sleep latency between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

Fig. S3 Sensitivity analysis of sleep duration between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

41105_2017_118_MOESM4_ESM.tif

Fig. S4 Sensitivity analysis of habitual sleep efficiency between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

Fig. S5 Sensitivity analysis of sleep disturbance between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

41105_2017_118_MOESM6_ESM.tif

Fig. S6 Sensitivity analysis of use of sleeping medications between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

Fig. S7 Sensitivity analysis of daytime dysfunction between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

41105_2017_118_MOESM8_ESM.tif

Fig. S8 Sensitivity analysis of the total scores of PSQI between medical students and non-medical students (TIFF 6549 kb)

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Yu, D., Ren, Q., Dong, B. et al. The sleep quality of medical students in China: a meta-analysis. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 15, 299–310 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-017-0118-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-017-0118-6

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