Quality of sleep in doctors posted in rural areas

Abstract Introduction: Among medical students, sleep is subjected to various obstacles such as curriculum and postings. Sleep is also influenced by sociodemographic factors but the intersectionality theory shows that multiple social factors within a person can influence health and behavior. Rural postings are another factor. We aim to explore the above in the study. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study done among 199 medical students across the country. We used a standardized Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and analyzed the data using SPSS software. The Chi-square test for associations between various demographic factors and sleep indicators. Results: About 71.9% of the participants were interns. Only 37.2% of the participants reported good sleep in rural areas. There was a statistical significance between sleep quality and the duration it takes to fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, and duration of stay in rural areas. Conclusion: Good sleep is a crucial factor in keeping the human body working efficiently and functioning well. The main issues such as hectic academic schedules, lack of infrastructure, and flexibility in their allowances, especially during their residency, training will help to improve their sleep and in turn their quality of work. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care, Practice-based learning and improvement.