Assessing sleep quality in private sector health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic (Master thesis)
Κιλίντζης, Κωνσταντίνος
Background. Sleep is a basic biological operation and a necessary human condition in order for a person to be healthy and to operate smoothly in his/her daily activities. The thesis starts with a review of the relevant literature on sleep, analysing individual scientific topics such as the definition and stages of sleep, the bio-pathological and psychosomatic impact of sleep (and lack thereof) on the human body, the regulatory mechanisms of sleep, the subjective and objective assessment of sleep, and sleep-related disorders. In addition, the mental health and work performance of health professionals during the pandemic are investigated, and the tools for assessing sleep quality and COVID-19 fear are also illustrated. Aim. This Master's thesis investigates the impact on sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, specifically on health professionals. The reason why this particular work group was chosen is the increased contact with cases of virus sufferers during the pandemic outbreak, a condition that inevitably led to increased levels of physical and psychological stress. Methods. The research methodology is next discussed. Accordingly, a questionnaire was semi-structured which consists of five main sections. The first one includes the demographic/psychometric data of the respondents and includes both open-ended and closed questions. The second part explores sleep levels based on the Athens Insomnia Scale. The third section includes questions about the individual's sense of their level of sleepiness while awake, based on the EPWORTH Sleepiness Scale. The fourth section was based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which explores the qualitative characteristics of sleep while the fifth and final section was based on the COVID-19 Fear Scale, which explores the level of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was answered by a total sample of 100 health professionals from private healthcare facilities in northern Greece during the pandemic outbreak between January and October 2021, while the reliability test was based on the Cronbach's reliability index α. Spearman’s correlation index was used as a statistical tool to investigate the correlations between the main variables of the study. Results. The main findings of the study indicated that health professionals have experienced significant sleep disturbances during the pandemic compared to the past and that there is a real fear affecting their sleep due to the pandemic. In addition, individual findings emerged that have to do with the qualitative characteristics of sleep that are affected and the individual categories of fear that a health professional may have. Conclusions. In summary, the present study demonstrates the statistically significant negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sleep of health professionals, demonstrating important individual qualitative parameters such as medication use, increased sleepiness and decreased functionality the next day, findings critical for the smooth functioning of the overall healthcare delivery system in Greece.
Institution and School/Department of submitter: | Δημοκρίτειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θράκης. Σχολή Επιστημών Υγείας. Τμήμα Ιατρικής |
Subject classification: | Sleep --Stages |
Keywords: | Covid-19,Sleep quality,Health professionals,Κορονοϊός,Ποιότητα ύπνου,Επαγγελματίες υγείας |
URI: | https://repo.lib.duth.gr/jspui/handle/123456789/17804 http://dx.doi.org/10.26257/heal.duth.16538 |
Appears in Collections: | Π.Μ.Σ. ΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΥΠΝΟΥ |
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KilintzisK_2023.pdf | Μεταπτυχιακή εργασία | 2.97 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open Request a copy |
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https://repo.lib.duth.gr/jspui/handle/123456789/17804
http://dx.doi.org/10.26257/heal.duth.16538
This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License