Journal of Psychiatry

Prevalence of insomnia disorder among pregnant women attending prenatal care at kamuzu central hospital, Lilongwe

Joint Event on 13^th International Conference on Mental Health and Human Resilience Joint Event on 35^th International Congress on Vision Science and Eye

April 29-30, 2025 Webinar

Kennedy Kachingwe* and Chimwemwe Munthali

St John of God College of Health Sciences, Malawi

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

Background: Insomnia Disorder (ID) is a prevalent Sleep-Wake disorder in pregnancy, associated with adverse effects on maternal mental health, fetal development, and obstetric outcomes (Meers & Nowakowski, 2022; Palagini et al., 2023; Palagini et al., 2024; Yang et al., 2024). Despite the risks associated with ID, research on ID in Malawi is limited. Understanding the prevalence of ID is essential to identifying gaps and opportunities for service delivery and developing evidence-based solutions to ID. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of ID among pregnant women. Methodology: A quantitative approach that used a cross-sectional descriptive design. A systematic random sampling was used to recruit 110 pregnant women at Kamuzu Central Hospital in February and March 2024. The study adopted the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to collect data. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20 software. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the association between various independent variables and the occurrence of ID during pregnancy. Findings: The prevalence of ID was found to be 79.1%. The sample included women in their first (24.5%), Second (28.2%), and third trimester (47.3) Univariate factors associated with ID were; first trimester (OR =0.223, 95% CI: 0.068-0.735), Second trimester (OR=0.253, 95% CI:0.073-0.871), being married (OR=0.139,95% CI:0.134- 0.483) and sharing bed at night (OR=5.283,95% CI:1.137-24.548). The study found a scientifically significant association between ID and the first trimester (AOR=0.212,95% CI:0.057-0.790). Conclusion and Recommendation: There is a high prevalence of ID in pregnant women and a scientifically significant association between the First trimester of pregnancy and ID. This could be because of the onset of sleep-altering biopsychosocial changes associated with pregnancy. The study recommends screening in the early stages of pregnancy, health education on sleep hygiene in pregnancy, and mental health counseling services for pregnant women.

Biography :

Kennedy Kachingwe holds a Bachelor’s degree in mental health and psychiatric nursing. He has significant experience working with postpartum women dealing with mental health issues and currently works as a psychiatric and mental health nurse at St. John of God Hospitaller Group Services – House of Hospitality in Lilongwe, Malawi. His current research focuses on insomnia disorder during pregnancy among women receiving antenatal care at Kamuzu Central Hospital. The study aims to identify modifiable factors contributing to insomnia, with the goal of improving health outcomes for both mothers and their children.