A Study on Sleep Quality among Patients Seeking Care at the Non-Communicable Diseases Outpatient Department within a Rural Healthcare Setting

Background: Sleep quality is an integral aspect of overall health and well-being, particularly for individuals afflicted by noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic conditions. This study aimed to assess the sleep quality of patients attending the Non-communicable Diseases Outpatient Department (NCD OPD) of a rural hospital. Objectives: To assess sleep quality and identify factors associated with poor sleep quality among patients attending NCD OPD in a rural hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending the NCD OPD of a rural hospital. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to collect data. A PSQI global score 5 or more is considered as poor sleep quality. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed using SPSS v 20. Results: 154 patients took part in the study. The mean age of the participants was 56.9 years (SD = 12.0 years). More than half of the participants were men (57%). 54.5% subjects were above 60 years of age. 39% were hypertensives. The mean PSQI score was 5.0 (SD = 1.9), indicating poor sleep quality. The most common sleep problems reported by the participants were difficulty falling asleep (80.5%), cannot get to sleep with in 30 mins (73.4%) and waking up during the night (66%). Conclusion: This study suggests that patients attending the NCD OPD of a rural hospital in Maharashtra have poor sleep quality. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including the stress of living with a chronic disease, usage of tobacco products, increasing age, diabetes, hypertension, overweight, physical inactivity. Routine screening for sleep quality and targeted management of modifiable risk factors could help improve sleep health in this population. Sleep education should be included in NCD care.