Sleep quality and air pollution: evidence from patients attending Family Health Centers in a Turkish metropolitan city

This cross-sectional study examined whether air pollution is linked to poorer sleep quality among 654 adults from two districts in Izmir, Turkey, with differing pollution levels.This study investigated whether increased air pollution is associated with reduced sleep quality.Adults aged 18-65 were recruited from Family Health Centers in Bayraklı (higher pollution) and Karşıyaka (lower pollution) between December 1-31, 2020. Air Quality Index and PM10 levels were obtained from local stations. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Sociodemographic, health, and behavioral data were collected via questionnaires.Poor sleep was reported by 15% of participants, more often in Bayraklı (18.8%) than Karşıyaka (11.1%) (p=0.006). Poor sleep correlated with older age, higher BMI, chronic disease, and medication use. Logistic regression showed that living in Karşıyaka was protective (OR=0.48, p=0.006), but this effect disappeared after adjusting for stove use (p=0.092). Stove use strongly predicted poor sleep (OR=5.11, p<0.001).Higher air pollution was associated with poorer sleep, and household coal/wood stove use was an independent risk factor. Public health measures promoting cleaner energy and managing chronic conditions may improve sleep outcomes.