Objective: Sleeping habits may greatly impact the prevalence of functional dyspepsia (FD). This study examined relationships between aspects of sleep impairment and FD.
Methods: This prospective study included university student volunteers. Following enrolment, FD was diagnosed based on the Rome IV criteria, dividing participants into an FD group or controls. The FD group was further subdivided into long-term (disease course >6 months) and short-term (disease course 3-6 months) FD groups. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire for Gastrointestinal Disorders in Adults, and a visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: Out of 418 participants in total, sleep quality, latency, and duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, sleep medication use, daytime dysfunction, and PSQI scores were higher in the FD groups versus controls. Components of PSQI scores emerged as risk factors, and were higher in the long-term versus short-term dyspepsia group. Moreover, these components were positively correlated with frequency/severity of postprandial distress syndrome and early satiation. Total PSQI scores were positively correlated with VAS scores.
Conclusion: Several PSQI components are associated with FD occurrence, symptom frequency, and symptom severity.
Keywords: Functional dyspepsia; gastrointestinal symptoms; sleep impairment.