Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding insomnia prevention and treatment among medical students in Inner Mongolia

TL;DR

This study examines how medical students in Inner Mongolia understand and handle insomnia, finding gaps in knowledge and practice despite generally positive attitudes.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into insomnia-related KAP among medical students in Inner Mongolia, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

Findings

Medical students showed insufficient knowledge and inadequate practice regarding insomnia prevention and treatment.

Positive attitudes correlated with better practice, but clinical insomnia was associated with worse practice.

Targeted interventions are needed to improve knowledge and practice among students with insomnia symptoms.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) toward insomnia prevention and treatment among medical students in Inner Mongolia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology from March 25, 2024 to June 17, 2024, using a self-designed KAP questionnaire. A total of 517 valid questionnaires were collected. Among the respondents, 273 (52.80%) were freshmen, 324 (62.67%) were female, and 112 (21.66%) had subclinical insomnia. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 13.09 ± 2.56 (adequate knowledge >14), 64.99 ± 10.74 (positive attitude >56), and 31.83 ± 8.94 (proactive practice > 31.5), respectively. The correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.152, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a correlation between attitude and practice (r = 0.333, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a higher attitude score (OR = 1.055, p < 0.001) and being in a relationship or married (OR = 1.712, p = 0.014) were associated with better practice, while received treatment for insomnia (OR = 0.095, p = 0.024) and clinical insomnia (OR = 0.523, p = 0.006) were negatively associated with practice. Medical students in Inner Mongolia exhibited insufficient knowledge and, while their attitudes were generally positive, students with symptoms demonstrated inadequate practice toward insomnia prevention and treatment. In this cross-sectional study, these findings suggest the need for enhanced screening and targeted interventions to help reduce the potential long-term harm of insomnia.