Correlation between physical activity, Sleep Components and Quality: in the Context of Type and Intensity : A Cross-Sectional study among Medical Students

Abstract

Abstract Background: Physical activity during the day is composed of different domains, specifically work-related, transportation, and recreation physical activity. We aimed at studying the correlation between energy expenditure and the corresponding metabolic equivalent of task and sleep in the context of the type, intensity and general level of physical activity. Materials and Methods:a cross-sectional study, participants were n= 273 enrolled from Al-Neelain university faculty of medicine between January and April 2021 we used the global physical activity questionnaire to measure the standard metabolic equivalent of task (MET) for vigorous and moderate work & leisure MET, Transportation MET, and sedentary time. we used the Pittsburgh sleep quality index to assess sleep quality. Daytime sleepiness was assessed with (the Epworth sleepiness scale) and psychological distress was assessed with (the Kessler 10-item questionnaire). Results: The Mean of Total-MET was (3533.36min/week) predominantly moderated work-MET (33%). Poor sleepers’ percentage was high (62%). Moreover, there was a significant difference between good and poor sleepers in moderate work MET mean (876.36,1334.2 min/week) (P<0.01).respectively. There was a significant difference between categories of activity in sleep duration (P<0.05) being higher for the low activity group(7.2h) than high and moderate categories (6.9h-6.3h) respectively. There were significant positive correlations between moderate work MET and roughly all sleep components namely (sleep latency, sleep disturbances, use of medications, daytime dysfunction) rho=(0.196, 0.182, 0.132, 0.149)(P<0.01, P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.05) respectively and sleep quality rho=(. 211 P<0.001). Vigorous leisure MET positively correlated with increased sleep latency rho=(0. 134 P<0.01). Total MET correlated with increased sleep latency, use of medications, and poor sleep quality in general. (0.134, 0.124, 0.133) (P<0.05). Psychological distress significantly correlated with both moderate work MET (0.135)(P<0.05) and increased sleep latency (0.229 P<0.001) severe daytime sleepiness (0.295 P<0.001)and overall poor Sleep quality (0.330 P<0.001). Conclusions: Our results show that poor sleep quality is primarily influenced by the type and intensity of physical activity. Eliciting a dose-response effect of different domains, being deleterious for work-related physical activity as work MET is of too low intensity or too long duration for maintaining or improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular health subsequently imposing its deleterious effect.