Mental Health, Sleep, and Physical Activity Among Young Saudi Women During Ramadan: A Comparative Cohort Study.

IF 3.4 2区医学 Q2 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Nature and Science of Sleep Pub Date : 2026-06-11 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.2147/NSS.S583610

Karthick Balasubramanian, Ramya Ramasamy Sanjeevi, Mohammed M Alshehri, Shaima A Alothman

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Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated mental health outcomes of young adult women in relation to physical activity and sleep patterns before, during, and after Ramadan.

Participants and methods: A prospective repeated-measures cohort study was conducted in the Department of Physical Therapy at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. Healthy women aged 18-30 years were recruited through convenience sampling, with exclusions for chronic illness, pregnancy, lactation, psychological disorders, or recent hospitalization. Self-reported data were collected online at three time points: before Ramadan, during Ramadan, and after Ramadan. The study assessed physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and emotional states using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21.

Results: Thirty young adult females participated in the study. Physical activity showed a gradual increase, with significant improvements from pre-Ramadan to Ramadan (p =0.039) and from pre-Ramadan to post-Ramadan (p =0.009). Sleep was significantly disrupted during Ramadan, with shorter duration (p <0.001) and poorer global sleep quality (p =0.002), followed by marked improvement post-Ramadan (all pairwise p ≤.001). Stress levels peaked during Ramadan and declined significantly afterward (p =0.010), whereas depression and anxiety remained stable across all phases (p >0.05). Regression analyses showed that poorer sleep quality significantly predicted higher depression, anxiety, and stress before and during Ramadan (all p ≤.002), but not after Ramadan. Physical activity and BMI were not associated with mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: The study found that while depression and anxiety stayed stable across the Ramadan periods, stress decreased after Ramadan. Sleep quality consistently related to mental health, whereas increased physical activity during Ramadan showed no link to emotional well-being. Overall, sleep and stress emerged as the key factors influencing well-being throughout the Ramadan cycle.

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斋月期间沙特年轻女性的心理健康、睡眠和身体活动：一项比较队列研究

目的：本研究调查了年轻成年女性在斋月之前、期间和之后的身体活动和睡眠模式对心理健康的影响。参与者和方法：在沙特阿拉伯吉赞大学物理治疗系进行了一项前瞻性重复测量队列研究。通过方便抽样招募年龄在18-30岁之间的健康女性，排除慢性病、怀孕、哺乳、心理障碍或最近住院的女性。自我报告的数据在三个时间点在线收集：斋月前、斋月期间和斋月后。该研究使用国际体育活动问卷-短表格评估体育活动，使用匹兹堡睡眠质量指数评估睡眠质量，使用抑郁、焦虑和压力量表-21评估情绪状态。结果：30名年轻成年女性参与了研究。身体活动逐渐增加，从斋月前到斋月（p =0.039）和从斋月前到斋月后（p =0.009）有显著改善。斋月期间睡眠明显中断，持续时间较短（p < 0.05）。回归分析显示，较差的睡眠质量显著预示着斋月前和斋月期间较高的抑郁、焦虑和压力（均p≤0.002），但斋月后则不然。体力活动和身体质量指数与心理健康结果无关。结论：研究发现，虽然抑郁和焦虑在斋月期间保持稳定，但斋月后压力下降。睡眠质量一直与心理健康有关，而斋月期间增加的体育活动与情绪健康没有联系。总的来说，睡眠和压力是影响整个斋月周期幸福感的关键因素。

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来源期刊

Nature and Science of Sleep Neuroscience-Behavioral Neuroscience

CiteScore

5.70

自引率

5.90%

发文量

245

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： Nature and Science of Sleep is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal covering all aspects of sleep science and sleep medicine, including the neurophysiology and functions of sleep, the genetics of sleep, sleep and society, biological rhythms, dreaming, sleep disorders and therapy, and strategies to optimize healthy sleep. Specific topics covered in the journal include: The functions of sleep in humans and other animals Physiological and neurophysiological changes with sleep The genetics of sleep and sleep differences The neurotransmitters, receptors and pathways involved in controlling both sleep and wakefulness Behavioral and pharmacological interventions aimed at improving sleep, and improving wakefulness Sleep changes with development and with age Sleep and reproduction (e.g., changes across the menstrual cycle, with pregnancy and menopause) The science and nature of dreams Sleep disorders Impact of sleep and sleep disorders on health, daytime function and quality of life Sleep problems secondary to clinical disorders Interaction of society with sleep (e.g., consequences of shift work, occupational health, public health) The microbiome and sleep Chronotherapy Impact of circadian rhythms on sleep, physiology, cognition and health Mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms, centrally and peripherally Impact of circadian rhythm disruptions (including night shift work, jet lag and social jet lag) on sleep, physiology, cognition and health Behavioral and pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing adverse effects of circadian-related sleep disruption Assessment of technologies and biomarkers for measuring sleep and/or circadian rhythms Epigenetic markers of sleep or circadian disruption.