Document Type
Poster
Start Date
4-20-2017 9:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2017 10:00 AM
Description
Abstract:
Sleep deprivation in college students leads to a diminishment in motivation, ability to retain information, and shortens attention span which combined leads to lower academic performance. While some students may resort to caffeine or substance use to increase productivity, others forego drowsiness and consequently suffer from sleep deprivation. Increased stress and screen time both aggravate this situation. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between work demands related to a student’s choice of major and poor sleep quantity and quality. A 38-question survey was administered to 70 college students at Philadelphia University in March 2017 using Typeform, an on-line survey tool. Average response time was six minutes. The majority of the respondents were female (74%) and were either freshmen or sophomores (60%). Questions measured sleep quantity and quality, screen time before sleep, substance use and a rating of stress level, motivation and satisfaction with academic performance. Incomplete surveys and students with diagnosed sleep disorders were excluded from analysis (n = 5). Demographic information such as major, year in college, and gender were used to compare sleep behavior. Each student’s answers were scored based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in which any value over 5 is categorized as poor sleep quality. Results indicated that students studying in the architecture program had statistically higher scores compared to those in the Physician Assistant Program (t(23), t critical= 1.7138, p= 0.0155877). In addition design majors slept significantly fewer hours per night compared to science majors (t (59), t critical=1.671093, p=0.022712). While this is a small survey in proportion to the total student population of 2,798, it indicates that outreach to improve sleep strategies tailored to specific majors may be worth exploring further.
Included in
Sleep Quality and Quantity may differ by design versus health science majors at Philadelphia University
Abstract:
Sleep deprivation in college students leads to a diminishment in motivation, ability to retain information, and shortens attention span which combined leads to lower academic performance. While some students may resort to caffeine or substance use to increase productivity, others forego drowsiness and consequently suffer from sleep deprivation. Increased stress and screen time both aggravate this situation. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between work demands related to a student’s choice of major and poor sleep quantity and quality. A 38-question survey was administered to 70 college students at Philadelphia University in March 2017 using Typeform, an on-line survey tool. Average response time was six minutes. The majority of the respondents were female (74%) and were either freshmen or sophomores (60%). Questions measured sleep quantity and quality, screen time before sleep, substance use and a rating of stress level, motivation and satisfaction with academic performance. Incomplete surveys and students with diagnosed sleep disorders were excluded from analysis (n = 5). Demographic information such as major, year in college, and gender were used to compare sleep behavior. Each student’s answers were scored based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in which any value over 5 is categorized as poor sleep quality. Results indicated that students studying in the architecture program had statistically higher scores compared to those in the Physician Assistant Program (t(23), t critical= 1.7138, p= 0.0155877). In addition design majors slept significantly fewer hours per night compared to science majors (t (59), t critical=1.671093, p=0.022712). While this is a small survey in proportion to the total student population of 2,798, it indicates that outreach to improve sleep strategies tailored to specific majors may be worth exploring further.
