Lifestyle and Job-Related Factors Associated with Sleep Quality: Gender-Specific Insights from Taiwanese Hospital Physicians

Wen-Hsuan Hou,1– 5,* Tzu-Chin Hsu,6,* Fu-Li Chen,7,* Jeng‑Cheng Wu6,8– 11 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4School of Gerontology and Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Cochrane Taiwan, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Medical Education, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 7Department of Public Health, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 8Department of Urology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Department of Education and Humanities in Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 10TMU Research Center of Urology and Kidney (TMU-RCUK), Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 11Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, College of Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jeng‑Cheng Wu, Department of Education and Humanities in Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, Email [email protected]: Poor sleep in physicians is a major concern, affecting their physical and psychological well-being and increasing the risk of medical errors. In this cross-sectional study, we explored gender-specific differences in factors associated with sleep quality in physicians.Participants and Methods: Self-report questionnaires were distributed to 401 hospital physicians in Taiwan. Statistical analyses—Student’s t test, Pearson’s correlation test, and multivariate linear regression—were conducted to identify factors associated with sleep quality. Subgroup analyses were also conducted to analyze gender-specific differences in sleep quality and its related factors.Results: Of a total of 189 physicians, approximately 40% reported poor sleep quality, with no significant gender-specific differences. Multivariate analysis revealed that unhealthy dietary habits (β = 0.39, p = 0.02) and a lack of regular exercise (β = − 0.52, p = 0.04) were significantly associated with poor sleep quality in the female physicians. By contrast, higher job demands were significantly associated with poorer sleep quality in the male physicians (β = 0.16, p = 0.03).Conclusion: In physicians, sleep quality is influenced by gender-specific factors. To enhance sleep quality, male physicians should focus on reducing their workload, and female physicians should prioritize improving their dietary and exercise habits. To achieve these goals, we recommend implementing gender-sensitive strategies involving flexible scheduling and workload management to reduce job demands for male physicians. We also recommend providing on-site healthy meal options and establishing exercise facilities to promote healthier lifestyle habits for female physicians. In addition, we recommend developing sleep hygiene education and mentorship programs to support work–life balance and aid stress management tailored to gender-specific needs. These strategies could help enhance the sleep quality of physicians, potentially improving their well-being and patient care quality.Keywords: diet, exercise, health-care worker, job demands, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index