Sleep parameters and associated health factors among academic staff, students, and other adults during the COVID-19 lockdown in Türkiye

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated sleep parameters and their associations with physical activity, musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, and fatigue among academic staff and students, compared with other adults, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown in Türkiye.

Materials and methods: This web-based cross-sectional study used a one-time online survey administered through Google Forms between May 22, 2020, and July 13, 2020. Sleep quality, physical activity, pain intensity, depressive symptoms, and fatigue were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, Numeric Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Fatigue Severity Scale, respectively. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the three groups. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to examine associations between PSQI scores and the other study variables.

Results: A total of 1,778 participants from Türkiye (647 males, 1,131 females; mean age: 28.26 ± 10.75 years; range, 18 to 72 years) were included in the study, comprising 278 academic staff members, 880 students, and 620 adults from other occupations who formed the control group. PSQI scores were higher, indicating poorer sleep quality, in students than in academic staff and in academic staff than in controls (F = 33.99, p < 0.001). Students showed the greatest delays in both bedtime and wake-up time (approximately 138 min; F = 12.95, p < 0.001 and F = 15.90, p < 0.001, respectively). Higher PSQI scores were moderately associated with higher depressive symptom scores among academic staff (Spearman's ρ = 0.516, p < 0.001) and students (Spearman's ρ = 0.440, p < 0.001). Among academic staff, higher PSQI scores were also moderately associated with greater neck pain (ρ = 0.406, p < 0.001), back pain (ρ = 0.425, p < 0.001), and lower-back pain (ρ = 0.401, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: During the COVID-19 lockdown, academic staff and students showed poorer sleep and less favorable scores for several health outcomes than the comparison group. Higher PSQI scores were associated with greater bedtime delay, screen exposure, musculoskeletal pain, depressive symptoms, and fatigue.

Cite this article as: Irem Bulut Z, Sari EO, Karatel M, Yakut Y, Pelin Z. Sleep parameters and associated health factors among academic staff, students, and other adults during the COVID-19 lockdown in Türkiye. D J Med Sci 2026;12(2):79- 90. doi: 10.5606/fng.btd.2026.248.

Z.I.B., E.O.S., M.K., Y.Y., Z.P.: Idea/concept, literature review; Z.I.B., Y.Y.: Design, analysis and/or interpretation; Y.Y., Z.P.: Control/supervision; Z.I.B., E.O.S., M.K.: Data collection and/or processing, writing the article.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Data Sharing Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

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