Sleep hygiene mediates the relationship between perceived academic stress and insomnia symptom severity among Pasifika students in Aotearoa New Zealand

INTRODUCTION The number of people in Aotearoa New Zealand who identify as Pasifika as their ethnicity is increasing, with ~8% in 2021 (Stats NZ, 2018b). According to Arini et al [...]
Many Pasifika students in Aotearoa New Zealand face challenges in their tertiary education. Their academic stress may potentially affect their wellbeing. Using a cross-sectional approach, we aimed to explore the proportion of Pasifika students with insomnia symptoms in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago, and whether their academic stress and sleep hygiene were associated with their insomnia symptoms. A brief (10-15 min) online survey was sent to 101 Pasifika science students at second- and third-year undergraduate levels in our department. Data from 57 Pasifika students (21.1 + 1.6 years old; 28.1% Samoan, 26.3% Tongan, 24.6% Fijian) were assessed. The proportions of Pasifika students with no, mild, moderate, and severe insomnia symptoms were 15.8%, 35.1%, 31.6%, and 7% respectively. Insomnia symptoms correlated with higher levels of stresses related to students' academic self-perceptions. Insomnia symptom severity also correlated with sleep hygiene, especially: going to and getting out of bed at irregular times, staying in bed longer than necessary, consuming alcohol/tobacco/caffeine close to bedtime, going to bed feeling distressed, sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, and worrying while in bed. Sleep hygiene mediated the relationship between perceived academic stress and insomnia symptom severity. Pasifika science students in Aotearoa New Zealand may be at elevated risk of having insomnia symptoms due to academic stress. Sleep hygiene education may potentially help improve their wellbeing. Keywords: Acad emic stress, Pasifika students, insomnia symptoms, sleep hygiene, ethnic minority