Sleep duration as the main indicator of self-rated wellness and health among healthcare workers involved in the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand the indicators of self-rated wellness and health among healthcare workers. Methods: Sleep pattern, mood status, nutritional condition, physical activity, habits and the subjective wellness and health index of the healthcare workers of a university affiliated hospital were surveyed. Paired t-tests were performed to compare the participants’ quality of life before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. Multivariable linear regression models with a backward elimination stepwise process determined the parameters that significantly correlated with self-reported wellness and health. Results: Of the 200 healthcare workers who participated in this study, 119 (60%) were female and 81 (40%) were male, with a mean (SD) age of 28.8 (5.9) years. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed many lifestyle factors compared to the pre-pandemic states. The scores of sleep quality, mood status, pre-planned physical activity and social activity were reduced by 30%, 40%, 50% and 70%, respectively. The average night sleep duration before the pandemic was 7 h and 22 min, whereas during the pandemic it decreased to 6 h and 44 min, a debt of 38 min in sleep duration every night. As found by multivariable regression modelling, self-reported wellness and health before the pandemic period was associated with wake-up time, mood status, physical activity and diet. During the pandemic period, in addition to these variables, night sleep duration (β = 0.049, p = 0.049) and nap duration (β = 0.009, p = 0.01) were left in the final multivariable model and correlated significantly with the wellness and health index. Conclusion: COVID-19 has detrimentally affected healthcare workers’ well-being and quality of life. Sleep duration was the main factor correlated with subjective wellness and health index during the current COVID-19 pandemic.