Interplay of Physical Activity and Insomnia: A Cross-Sectional Study of University Students in Somalia

Abstract

Objective: Physical activity (PA) positively impacts health, enhancing well-being, life satisfaction, and sleep quality. This study examined the associations between PA levels and insomnia in a university student sample in Somalia.

Methods: A total of 268 volunteer students aged 18–30 from the Health Sciences University Mogadishu Somalia Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan School of Health Sciences participated in the study. Exclusion criteria included refusal to participate or contraindications for PA. PA levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF),

and insomnia severity was evaluated using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Data were analyzed with SPSS version 26.0.

Results: The majority of participants were women (88.1%), non-smokers (99.6%), and coffee consumers (61.6%). PA levels were categorized as inactive/low (44%), moderate (43.3%), and vigorous (12.7%). Insomnia prevalence included subthreshold insomnia (36.2%) and clinically significant insomnia (8.6%). ISI scores were significantly correlated with musculoskeletal pain,

pain localization, pain duration, VAS scores, energy drink consumption, economic status, and frequency of stressful situations (p < 0.05). However, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that gender, BMI, and IPAQ-SF scores were not significant predictors of ISI scores.

Conclusions: Nearly half of the participants were physically inactive, with a substantial proportion reporting subthreshold or clinically significant insomnia. Insomnia scores were influenced by musculoskeletal pain, stress, and lifestyle factors such as energy drink consumption and economic status, highlighting the multifactorial nature of sleep disturbances in this population.