Factors Associated with the Prevalence of Poor Sleep Quality Among Physicians Working in Primary Health Care Centers of the Ministry of Health in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background Sleep is vital for physicians' cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and patient safety.poor sleep quality among physicians may compromise healthcare outcomes and workforce sustainability. However, data on sleep disturbances among primary healthcare (PHC) physicians in Saudi Arabia are limited. Aim To estimate the prevalence of poor sleep quality and identify associated factors among physicians working in Ministry of Health PHC centers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 196 physicians selected via stratified cluster sampling from PHC centers across Al-Ahsa's four administrative sectors. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire, including demographic and occupational characteristics, psychological stressors, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and binary logistic regression were used for analysis, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results More than half of the participants (55.1%) had poor sleep quality (PSQI>5). The mean global PSQI score was 6.61±3.56. Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with younger age (particularly 24-29 years, p=0.025), being a general practitioner (p=0.001), emotional stress (p=0.001), bad mood (p=0.001), and loss of interest in usual activities (p=0.001). Logistic regression revealed that age 24-29 years (odds ratio (OR)=7.059; p=0.007) and emotional stress (OR=1.955; p=0.033) were independent predictors of poor sleep quality. Conclusion Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among PHC physicians in Al-Ahsa and is strongly associated with occupational and psychological stressors. These findings call for urgent institutional interventions to promote sleep hygiene, reduce work-related stress, and support physician mental health to ensure safe and effective healthcare delivery.