Comparação dos parâmetros do sono, nível de atividade física e sintomas de ansiedade e depressão entre estudantes universitários e do ensino médio

Abstract

Sleep is a physiological process of vital importance for the proper functioning of our organism, just as regular physical activity is essential for good health. Anxiety and depression are mental disorders that can affect individuals of any age, compromising their mental health. This study aims to investigate sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, levels of physical activity, and symptoms of anxiety and depression among students and university students from the Physical Education Department at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco and high school students from EREM Pompeia Campos in Pernambuco. The sample consisted of 131 high school students from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years of both sexes, with an average age of 16.25 ± 0.96, and 92 university students from the 1st to the 8th period, also of both sexes, with an average age of 23.69 ± 3.98 years. This is a cross-sectional study conducted through the application of validated questionnaires to assess sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - PSQI), excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale - ESS), symptoms of anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory - BAI), depression (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI), and physical activity levels (International Physical Activity Questionnaire - IPAQ). The questionnaires were administered in person at EREM Pompeia Campos and at the Physical Education Department of UFRPE. For the inferential statistical analysis of the results, a significance level of p < 0.05 was set. The normality of the data was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Since the data distribution was normal, the t-test for independent samples was used for comparisons of means, and the chi-square test was employed for comparisons of categorical variables. Data were expressed as means and standard deviations for noncategorical variables and as absolute and relative frequencies for categorical variables. Regarding sleep quality, high school and university students exhibited poor sleep quality, with 71.75% and 77.17%, respectively. The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) among high school students was 53.43% and 50% among university students. University students reported a higher frequency of active and very active individuals (n = 34/37% and n = 40/43.4%, respectively) and fewer sedentary individuals (n = 8/8.7% and n = 10/10.9%) compared to what was expected (p = 0.000). In contrast, high school students were more sedentary (n = 46/35.1%) and irregularly active (A and B) (n = 26/19.8%), with fewer active (n = 42/32.1%) and very active individuals (n = 17/13%) than expected. University students displayed a higher than expected frequency of anxiety symptoms (p = 0.004): absent (n = 44/47.8%), mild (n = 25/27.2%), moderate (n = 13/14.1%), and severe (n = 10/10.9%). Conversely, high school students exhibited a lower prevalence of anxiety symptoms than expected (p = 0.004): absent (n = 21/16%), mild (n = 47/35.9%), moderate (n = 35/26.7%), and severe (n = 28/21.4%). Regarding depression, university students showed a higher than expected frequency of depressive symptoms (p = 0.003) with absence of symptoms (n = 40/43.5%) and mild symptoms (n = 35/38%), and a lower frequency of moderate (n = 15/16.3%) and severe (n = 2/2.2%) symptoms. In contrast, high school students exhibited a lower frequency than expected (p = 0.003) of absence of depression (n = 34/26%) and mild symptoms (n = 46/35.1%), with a higher frequency of moderate (n = 40/30.5%) and severe symptoms (n = 11/8.5%). According to our results, both university and high school students experience poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness; however, university students are more physically active and present more symptoms of anxiety, while high school students are less active and exhibit more symptoms of depression.