Sleep Quality and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Medical Students in Surabaya

Salsabila Nanda Abdullah; Hendrata Erry Andisari; Fransiscus Octavius Hari Prasetyadi; Ade Irawati

doi:10.20527/jbkes.v12i2.26408

Sleep Quality and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Medical Students in Surabaya

Salsabila Nanda Abdullah, Hendrata Erry Andisari, Fransiscus Octavius Hari Prasetyadi, Ade Irawati

Abstract

Declining sleep quality and rising complaints of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) are common among medical students, driven by academic pressure and unhealthy lifestyle patterns. However, evidence on sleep quality as an independent explanatory factor for GERD symptoms in Indonesian medical student populations remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the association between sleep quality and GERD symptoms among medical students in Surabaya. A cross-sectional analytical observational design was employed, involving 120 students from the 2022–2024 intakes at Hang Tuah University, selected through purposive sampling. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and GERD symptoms were assessed using the GERD-Q questionnaire. Data were analyzed using univariate description and Spearman's rho correlation. The results show that 85.0% respondents had poor sleep quality, and 59.2% were classified as likely to have GERD. Bivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant, weak-to-moderate positive correlation between sleep quality and GERD symptoms (r = 0.256; p = 0.005, two-tailed). These findings indicate that poorer sleep quality is associated with greater GERD symptom burden among medical students, supporting the inclusion of sleep hygiene and stress-management components alongside conventional dietary and pharmacological approaches in GERD prevention strategies within medical education settings.

Keywords

Sleep Quality; GERD; PSQI; GERD-Q; Medical Students

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References

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20527/jbkes.v12i2.26408