Investigation of the Relationship Between Physical Activity Levels and Sleep Quality in Mothers of Children with Intellectual and/or Physical Disabilities

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity levels and sleep quality in mothers of children with disabilities. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the association between physical activity levels and sociodemographic characteristics, including age, body mass index, and educational status. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the planning of preventive and supportive programs aimed at promoting the health of mothers of children with disabilities.

This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted to examine the relationship between physical activity levels and sleep quality in mothers of children with disabilities. A total of 184 volunteer mothers living in Uşak, Türkiye, who had a child with a disability, were included in the study. The participants completed a sociodemographic information form developed by the researchers, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) through face-to-face interviews. The sociodemographic information form included questions regarding the participants' age, height, body weight, and educational status.

The data obtained within the scope of the study were transferred to an electronic database and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. In addition to descriptive statistics, appropriate parametric or non-parametric statistical methods were used to evaluate the relationship between physical activity levels and sleep quality. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

The results showed that exercise scores did not differ significantly according to age groups (p>0.05) or BMI groups (p>0.05). However, exercise scores differed significantly according to educational status (p≤0.05). University graduates had higher exercise scores than participants in the other educational groups. A statistically significant, negative, and weak correlation was found between exercise scores and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores (r=-0.230; p≈0.002). This finding indicates that PSQI scores tended to decrease as exercise scores increased. Since lower PSQI scores indicate better sleep quality, the results suggest that higher levels of physical activity may be associated with better sleep quality.