Relationship between general health level and sleep quality in chemical warfare victims with bronchiolitis obliterans

Sleep is one of the effective important factors on health. Sleep disorders are of common disorders that accompany chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. This study was applied to assess the relationship between sleep quality and general health in chemical warfare victims with bronchiolitis obliterans.

In this descriptive correlation study conducted in 2008, 93 chemical warfare victims with bronchiolitis obliterans who referred to the subspecialty respiratory clinic of one of Tehran military hospitals were selected by convenience sampling method. Sleep quality was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and general health with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Data was analyzed by SPSS 15 software using descriptive statistical methods such as central indices and inferential statistical tests including Pearson correlation coefficient.

77.4% of subjects had not desirable general health. The average of sleep quality scores was poor. There was significant relation between other sleep quality subscales and also its global score and general health except for the two subscales of sleep duration and sleep sufficiency (p<0.05).

The sleep quality and general health is undesirable in most of chemical warfare victims with bronchiolitis obliterans and there is direct correlation between these two variables. There for paying the attention to the promotion of general health and sleep quality is essential in these patients.