Aim: Sleep disturbances are frequently reported by patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) during treatment with interferon (IFN) α plus ribavirin. Poor sleep quality is related to the onset of depression and impaired quality of life in patients receiving treatment. The aims of this study were to apply the Mini Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ) as a screening tool to assess the self-reported sleep quality and the prevalence of sleep disorders.
Methods: We conducted a transversal, observational, descriptive study comprising 41 subjects with HCV, divided into two groups, treatment (N.=16) and control (N.=25). A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical data and the MSQ was applied to assess the sleep quality. A Chi-square test was applied to compare sleep quality between groups.
Results: Significant differences between groups in the classification of sleep quality were observed (P<0.05). The group of patients under treatment presented higher frequency of sleep disorders (63%) when compared to the control group (12%). Additionally, the apnea domain was the most impacted.
Conclusion: This study identified a higher prevalence of sleep disorders and self-reported poor sleep quality in HCV patients under treatment. The MSQ may be useful as a screening tool for sleep disorders in HCV patients during the treatment with IFN-α plus ribavirin.