SLEEP QUALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM RURAL SOUTHERN TAMIL NADU

Introduction: Sleep quality remains a significantly underappreciated aspect of managing chronic medical conditions. Poor sleep quality may impact the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality outcomes in patients with these conditions. To objectively quantify the burden of poor sleep quality, this study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and to identify its associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 203 patients with chronic medical conditions attending a tertiary care hospital in Kanyakumari district. Purposive sampling of patients with cancer or chronic cardiac, renal, hepatic, or pulmonary conditions was done with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. A PQSI score of more than 5 indicated poor sleep quality. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and independent t-tests were used for statistical analysis, with 5% significance level. Results: The mean age of the patients was 54.57 years, with males being the predominant group (63%). Almost all of the patients (80.3%) were considered poor sleepers with a PSQI score of more than 5, with the highest scores mainly seen in patients with liver disease and respiratory diseases. Male gender and kidney disease were statistically significant factors associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusion: The Majority of the subjects with chronic diseases had poor quality of sleep, with only a few seeking treatment for the same. Early identification and management of sleep disorders in patients with chronic diseases is a critical gap in patient care that needs to be addressed urgently.