The effect of anxiety levels on attentional networks in high-altitude migrants: the role of sleep quality and haemoglobin concentration

Abstract

Abstract To explore the effect of anxiety levels on attentional networks in high altitude migrants and to verify the mediating and moderating role of sleep quality and haemoglobin concentration(HGB). One hundred and forty high altitude transplants living on the plateau for two years were selected and anxiety levels were captured by the SCL-90 questionnaire, behavioural data by the ANT experimental procedure, sleep quality by the Pittsburgh Sleepiness Index and HGB by means of venous blood sampling. The results revealed a significant difference between the high and low anxiety groups in the attentional executive network and no difference in the alertness and orientation networks; a difference in sleep quality between the high and normal HGB groups.Sleep quality was fully mediated between anxiety level and attentional executive network, accounting for 45% of the total effect; sleep quality and HGB were moderated mediation between anxiety level and attentional executive network (β = 0.19, t = 2.03, p < 0.05), and only for individuals with high HGB did the sleep quality of individuals with high anxiety levels differ from that of individuals with low anxiety levels. It was only for individuals with high HGB that differences existed. It is concluded that as anxiety levels increase, this affects the sleep quality of high altitude migrants and thus their attentional network efficiency, and that as HGB increase, this alleviates the poor sleep quality of high altitude migrants with increased anxiety levels and thus improves their attentional network efficiency.