Background

To calculate the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) (through the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, ESE) and to identify the personal and working variables predicting the risk of EDS.

Methods

Cross-sectional study performed on 476 civil servants from Murcia (October 2013 - February 2016). Prevalence of EDS and bad sleep hygiene (LSH) were determined from scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Sleep Hygiene Scale (SHS), respectively, and their association with different variables was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Independent predictors of EDS were identified by multivariate logistic regression.

Results

EDS was less prevalent (16.7%) than LSH (23.4%). Women scored higher in ESE (7.5 vs 6.3; p=0,001) and suffered twice the EDS of men (23.0 vs 10.7%, p<0.001). Workers with EDS scored higher on SHS (34.3 vs 32.7; p=0.044) and had LSH more frequently (38.7 vs 24.9%, p=0.014). Smokers were predominantly women (57.0%; p=0.087) with LSH (50.0 vs 25.8 and 18.9% amongst ex-smokers and non-smokers, p<0.001). Being a woman OR=2.5, 95%IC: 1.4-4.3; p<0.001) and having bad sleep hygiene (OR=1.8 95%IC: 1.0-3.2, p=0.032) were predictive factors irrespective of suffering from EDS.

Conclusions

EDS was present in civil servants in the region of Murcia, and was higher in women than men. Excessive daytime sleepiness is strongly associated with bad sleep hygiene and became a woman.