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Prevalence Rates of Reported Nightmares in a Cross-Sectional Sample of Kuwaiti Children, Adolescents, Undergraduates, and Employees
Ahmed M. Abdel-Khalek, Ph.D.
Study Objective: To estimate the prevalence rates of self-reported nightmares in a large sample of Kuwaiti children, adolescents, college students, and employees and to examine the age and gender differences.
Methods: A sample of 11,334 school and college students and employees was recruited. Their ages ranged between 10 and 55 years. A self-rating scale item was used to assess frequency of nightmares. It was answered on a 5-point intensity scale with 0=No, 1=A little, 2=Moderate, 3=Much, and 4=Very much. This scale has acceptable temporal stability. Point prevalence rate was computed as the summation of the percentages of responses in the two options: “Much” and Very much” during the most recent month.
Results: The prevalence rates of reported nightmares ranged between 4.5% (male undergraduates and employees) and 14.3% (female adolescents). The prevalence rates of boys (12.7%) and girls (12.3%) were similar as were male undergraduates and employees (4.5%). Female adolescents obtained around double of the rate of their male counterparts (14.3% vs. 7.5%), as well as female and male undergraduates (8.3% vs. 4.5%) respectively. Nightmares decreased markedly with age in both males and females, with one exception, i.e., the highest prevalence rate was among female adolescents. The sex-related differences in reported nightmares were significant favoring females in adolescent and undergraduate groups only. However, effect sizes were small.
Conclusions: Self-reported nightmares are common in a large Kuwaiti sample. There is a need for comprehensive programs of guidance, counseling, or therapeutic intervention.
| Keywords: Nightmare rates, epidemiology, prevalence, children, adolescents, undergraduates, employees, Kuwait |
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