Knowledge, attitude and practice with respect to sleep among undergraduate medical students of Mekelle University

Medical college students are vulnerable to a variety of sleep disorders due to the rigorous nature of their studies. This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of sleep among medical students of Mekelle University. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 2nd to 6th year undergraduate medical students of Mekelle University. The mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores were calculated and compared across various subgroups of respondents. A total of 252 students (51 female and 201 male) completed the survey. The mean age of the students was 22 +/- 1.65 years and ages ranged from 1828 years. The mean +/- SD scores of knowledge, attitude and practice were 79 +/- 13.8, 80.4 +/- 18.4 and 176.2 +/- 23.9, respectively. In univariate analysis, there were significant differences between ages regarding knowledge (P < 0.002) and attitude (P < 0.03). There was also a significant difference regarding sleep practice (P < 0.049) between differing places of family residence. Similarly, a TukeyKramer multiple comparison test showed significant knowledge and attitude differences by students' year of study. This study showed that levels of awareness, perception and practice were generally low among the medical students. Therefore, educational strategies to improve knowledge and perception regarding sleep disorders and the development of proper sleep practices among medical students are needed.