Sleep and Sleep Disorder Knowledge Among Physicians Working in Qatar's Primary Health Care Corporation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Sleep is a fundamental biological process essential for physical, cognitive, and mental health, yet sleep disorders remain underrecognized in primary care. Given the central role of primary care physicians (PCPs) in early identification and management, this study aimed to assess sleep and sleep disorder knowledge among PCPs working within the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the validated 30-item Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education (ASKME) questionnaire, alongside demographic and clinical practice variables. The primary outcomes were the overall ASKME percentage score and participants achieving adequate sleep knowledge (≥60%). A total of 110 PCPs were included in the analysis. The mean overall ASKME score was 56.5%, and 44.5% of participants achieved adequate sleep knowledge. Knowledge was highest in circadian sleep-wake regulation and basic sleep principles, and lowest in common sleep disorders, sleep architecture, and the effects of drugs and alcohol on sleep. In multivariable logistic regression, years of clinical experience was the only factor independently associated with adequate sleep knowledge. These findings indicate persistent gaps in clinically relevant sleep knowledge among PCPs and underscore the need for targeted sleep education within primary care to support early and effective management of sleep disorders. However, the achieved sample size was substantially smaller than the initially calculated target of 260, limiting statistical power; therefore, the non-significant findings may reflect a Type II error, and the regression analyses should be interpreted with caution.