Sleep Quality in First- to Third-Year Medical Students at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala: Prevalence and Associations with Daytime Sleepiness and Perceived Stress

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2025.3984

Keywords:

sleep quality, psychological stress, medical students, cross-sectional study, Guatemala

Abstract

Background: Sleep quality is fundamental for learning, emotional regulation, and long-term health. Medical students often face heavy workloads and irregular schedules that can disrupt sleep and increase stress and daytime sleepiness. Based on our literature search, we found no previous reports examining sleep quality and its associations with daytime sleepiness and perceived stress among Guatemalan medical students; therefore, this study represents an initial contribution to this field. Establishing the magnitude of sleep problems in this context is essential to guide student well-being initiatives and institutional policies.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of poor sleep quality among first- to third-year medical students at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and to evaluate its association with daytime sleepiness and perceived stress.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of first- to third-year medical students at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala during June-July 2024. Participants filled out an online questionnaire that included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Spanish Perceived Stress Scale (EEP). Poor sleep was defined as PSQI > 5. Demographic data included sex, age, and academic year. Categorical variables were compared with chi-square tests, and associations among PSQI, ESS, and EEP scores were assessed with Spearman correlations. Analyses were performed in R with α = 0.05.

Results: A total of 100 students participated (mean age 21.7 ± 1.6 years; 61% women), who reported an average nightly sleep duration of 4.9 ± 1.05 hours (mode = 5 hours) over the previous month. The mean PSQI score was 9.2 ± 2.8, with 90.0% (95% CI 83.5–94.6) classified as having poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). Excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS ≥ 10) was found in 49% of students (mean ESS 8.8 ± 3.6). High perceived stress was present in 87% of participants, with a mean score 32.1 ± 6.8 which corresponds to the high-stress category (27–40) on the 0–56 PSS/EEP scale. Poor sleep was not significantly associated with sex (χ² = 0.17, p = 0.68) or academic year (χ² = 3.33, p = 0.19). PSQI scores correlated positively with daytime sleepiness (ρ = 0.31, p = 0.0017) and perceived stress (ρ = 0.31, p = 0.0020).

Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among early-year medical students at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and is associated with greater daytime sleepiness and perceived stress. These findings point to the need for both institutional and individual interventions—such as sleep-hygiene education, stress-management programs, and structural measures to reduce chronic sleep restriction—to help protect students’ health and academic performance.

 

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Rivero, V., & Palomo, A. (2025). Sleep Quality in First- to Third-Year Medical Students at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala: Prevalence and Associations with Daytime Sleepiness and Perceived Stress. International Journal of Medical Students, 13, S181. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2025.3984

Issue

Vol 13. (2025): Supplement 1

Section

Abstracts of the WCMSR

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Copyright (c) 2025 Victor Rivero, Ana Palomo

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