Abstract:
Background: Chronic heart failure is an important health problem associated with changes in sleep pattern and
quality among patients with heart failure. Besides having negative effect on the patients' quality of life, it is one of
the most disturbing problems. Poor sleep compromise cognition and one's self-care practice. Though factors
affecting sleep among heart failure patients have been investigated in developed world this is not well understood
in developing countries like Ethiopia. The aim of this study was therefore, to assess the level of sleep quality and
associated factors among heart failure patients.
Methods: - A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 1 to November 15, 2014 at Jimma University
Specialized Hospital chronic illness follow up clinic. Data was collected by using standardized structured
interviewer administrated questionnaires. Sleep quality was rated by participants using Pittsburg sleep quality scale.
Convenient sampling technique was employed. Data analysis was done by SPSS windows version 20.0 statistical
package. Statistical association was declared at p-value of <0.05 and results were presented using tables, figures
and narratives.
Result: A total of 278 patients participated in the study. On the Pittsburg sleep quality scale 42(15.1%) of the
participants rated their perceived sleep quality as very bad with the mean score of 9.23 (SD = 4.05). Overall,
81.65% of participants had poor sleep quality. Patients who were farmers 166(59.7%) had poor sleep quality than
others.
Conclusion and recommendation: Majority of the study participants have poor sleep quality having Pittsburgh
sleep quality scale score of greater than five whereas only few of them had good sleep quality. Therefore, Health
education and symptom management should be focused in this population to improve their sleep quality.
