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2026, Vol: 10, Issue: 8
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Original Article
Online Published: 27 Aug 2026
 


Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Fatimah Abdullah Almaymuni, Rana Saud Alotaibi, Amal Faez Almasoudi, Lama Marshad Alshammari, Nada Abdullah Alanazi, Reem Saad Albeladi, Mohammad Nasser Aldosari.


Abstract
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), among Saudi adults.
Methods:
A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 915 adults in Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire distributed via social media. Sleep quality and gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed using validated Arabic instruments, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria (Rome IV), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GERD-Q).
Results:
Poor sleep quality was reported by 36.1% of the participants and was significantly associated with a high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants with poor sleep had higher rates of IBS (p-value<0.001) and GERD (p-value=0.005), as well as significantly more abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, and reflux-related symptoms than good sleepers (all p-values<0.001). Overall, poor sleep quality was consistently associated with an increased gastrointestinal symptom burden.
Conclusion:
Poor sleep quality was found to be common among Saudi adults, and there was a significant correlation between sleep quality and increased gastrointestinal symptom scores. Screening for sleep disturbances among outpatients with IBS- or GERD-related symptoms could improve the diagnosis and care of affected patients, and combining sleep interventions might decrease gastrointestinal symptoms and improve quality of life.

Key words: Sleep quality, gastrointestinal symptoms, IBS, GERD, Saudi adults, Saudi Arabia


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Almaymuni FA, Alotaibi RS, Almasoudi AF, Alshammari LM, Alanazi NA, Albeladi RS, Aldosari MN. Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. IJMDC. Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721

Web Style

Almaymuni FA, Alotaibi RS, Almasoudi AF, Alshammari LM, Alanazi NA, Albeladi RS, Aldosari MN. Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=323004 [Access: August 28, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Almaymuni FA, Alotaibi RS, Almasoudi AF, Alshammari LM, Alanazi NA, Albeladi RS, Aldosari MN. Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. IJMDC. Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Almaymuni FA, Alotaibi RS, Almasoudi AF, Alshammari LM, Alanazi NA, Albeladi RS, Aldosari MN. Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. IJMDC, [cited August 28, 2026]; Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


Harvard Style

Almaymuni, F. A., Alotaibi, . R. S., Almasoudi, . A. F., Alshammari, . L. M., Alanazi, . N. A., Albeladi, . R. S. & Aldosari, . M. N. (2026) Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. IJMDC, Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


Turabian Style

Almaymuni, Fatimah Abdullah, Rana Saud Alotaibi, Amal Faez Almasoudi, Lama Marshad Alshammari, Nada Abdullah Alanazi, Reem Saad Albeladi, and Mohammad Nasser Aldosari. 2026. Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


Chicago Style

Almaymuni, Fatimah Abdullah, Rana Saud Alotaibi, Amal Faez Almasoudi, Lama Marshad Alshammari, Nada Abdullah Alanazi, Reem Saad Albeladi, and Mohammad Nasser Aldosari. "Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Almaymuni, Fatimah Abdullah, Rana Saud Alotaibi, Amal Faez Almasoudi, Lama Marshad Alshammari, Nada Abdullah Alanazi, Reem Saad Albeladi, and Mohammad Nasser Aldosari. "Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. Web. 28 Aug 2026 doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Almaymuni, F. A., Alotaibi, . R. S., Almasoudi, . A. F., Alshammari, . L. M., Alanazi, . N. A., Albeladi, . R. S. & Aldosari, . M. N. (2026) Prevalence of poor sleep quality and its association with gastrointestinal symptoms among adults in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, Online First: 27 Aug, 2026. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1780421721




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