Anwer Shahnawaz, Li Heng, Antwi-Afari Maxwell Fordjour, Shaphe Mohammad Abu, Alghadir Ahmad, Wong Arnold Y L
Rehabilitation Research Chair, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Building and Real Estate, Faculty of Construction and Environment, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2021 Nov 11;14:3135-3149. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S325479. eCollection 2021.
The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on sleep hygiene, anxiety levels, perceived stress, and research output among postgraduate research students in Hong Kong.
An online survey was developed and distributed to Hong Kong postgraduate research students. The sleep hygiene, anxiety levels, and perceived stress during the outbreak of COVID-19 were assessed. Questions about COVID-19's impact on research outputs were asked.
A total of 108 (response rate, 72%) full-time postgraduate students (PhD, 64%; M Phil, 8%; and Masters, 28%) participated. Approximately 83% of students reported poor sleep hygiene. Similarly, nearly 76% of students reported mild to severe levels of self-perceived anxiety levels. Most of the respondents (89%) expressed a moderate level of perceived stress. Sleep hygiene scores were moderately associated with anxiety levels (r = 0.384, p < 0.01) and perceived stress scores (r = 0.423, p < 0.01). Perceived stress was strongly correlated with anxiety levels (r = 0.601, p < 0.01). A hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant association between respondents' ethnicity (B = -0.923, p = 0.003), past medical history (such as hypertension, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders) (B = 1.112, p = 0.005), or poor sleep hygiene (B = 0.259, p = 0.000) and high levels of perceived stress. Additionally, prior medical history (such as hypertension, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders) (B = 1.957, p = 0.001) and poor sleep hygiene (B = 0.312, p = 0.000) were found to be strongly related to anxiety levels among postgraduate research students.
This is the first study that highlights poor sleep hygiene, moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety, and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in postgraduate research students in Hong Kong. These findings will help educators to prepare strategies to alleviate the stress and psychological problems in postgraduate students.
本研究旨在评估冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对香港研究生研究人员的睡眠卫生、焦虑水平、感知压力和研究产出的影响。
开展了一项在线调查，并分发给香港的研究生研究人员。评估了COVID-19疫情期间的睡眠卫生、焦虑水平和感知压力。询问了有关COVID-19对研究产出影响的问题。
共有108名全日制研究生（博士占64%；哲学硕士占8%；硕士占28%）参与调查（回复率为72%）。约83%的学生报告睡眠卫生状况不佳。同样，近76%的学生报告自我感知焦虑水平为轻度至重度。大多数受访者（89%）表示感知压力处于中等水平。睡眠卫生得分与焦虑水平（r = 0.384，p < 0.01）和感知压力得分（r = 0.423，p < 0.01）呈中度相关。感知压力与焦虑水平密切相关（r = 0.601，p < 0.01）。分层回归分析显示，受访者的种族（B = -0.923，p = 0.003）、既往病史（如高血压、糖尿病和肌肉骨骼疾病）（B = 1.112，p = 0.005）或睡眠卫生状况不佳（B = 0.259，p = 0.000）与高水平的感知压力之间存在显著关联。此外，既往病史（如高血压、糖尿病和肌肉骨骼疾病）（B = 1.957，p = 0.001）和睡眠卫生状况不佳（B = 0.312，p = 0.000）被发现与研究生研究人员的焦虑水平密切相关。
这是第一项强调香港研究生研究人员在COVID-19大流行期间睡眠卫生状况不佳、中度至重度焦虑和感知压力的研究。这些发现将有助于教育工作者制定策略，以减轻研究生的压力和心理问题。
