Abstract:
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancer types among women in Sri
Lanka. Daytime sleepiness (DS) describes the inability to remain awake during the daytime,
which results in drowsiness or sleep. DS is a common symptom of patients with BC which is
associated with many factors. BC related DS interferes with daily life activities and reduces the
quality of life. The prevalence of and alternating over time in DS in women with BC are not
well characterized. Identification of the severity of DS and influencing factors is critical to
enhancing the quality of life of BC patients.
Objectives: To assess the prevalence and severity of DS of the patients with breast cancer and
the factors influencing.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on both inward patients and
patients attending oncology clinics whose age was 18-60 years in Apeksha Hospital
Maharagama and Teaching Hospital Karapitiya. The study sample included 66 patients which is
a subset of a sample size of 325. The data were collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used as a tool to assess the
DS.
Results: The mean (SD) age of 52.8 (±7.25) years. The prevalence of DS was 78.8% elaborate
the results according to the ESS. The mean DS score was 9.8 (±5.39). According to the resulting
scores of the ESS, about 33.3% of patients (n=22) were presented with higher normal DS (score
6-10). According to binary logistic regression analysis age (OR: 2.9; 95% CI 0.7-12.5), having
comorbidities (OR: 4.9; 95% CI 0.8-33), and period of suffering from cancer (OR: 1.1; 95% CI
0.3-3.6) were recognized as the factors that influence DS. Daytime sleepiness was not
influenced by the type of therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and pain management) and the
presence of metastasis.
Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of DS among breast cancer patients in Sri Lanka which
was associated with several factors. In Sri Lanka, most of the patients were not presented with
severe excessive DS and majority of the patients had higher normal DS. The type of therapy and
presence of metastasis were not associated with DS.
