Social media use is linked to poor sleep quality: The opportunities and challenges to support evidence-informed policymaking in the UAE

Abstract

Abstract Background This study was conducted among a convenience sample of Ajman University students in UAE between February 2018 and May 2019. Methods All undergraduate and master’s degree students from the 1st to 5th year of medical and non-medical colleges. The survey was carried out by distributing a pre-designed, pre-structured questionnaire to the students during lectures. The questionnaires were primarily composed of three sections: demographic characteristics, educational characteristics and sleep quality characteristics. The data were analyzed using STATA version 14.2. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between sleep characteristics, social media use and other significant risk factors. The P-values < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Results The vast majority of the study participants were social media users, and a considerable proportion suffered from poor sleep quality. A significantly increased risk of bad sleep quality and intermittent/anxious sleep patterns were observed among social media users. Conclusion Health policymakers should fully consider these factors in improving the sleep quality of university students.