GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDINSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Instructions: Please respond to the following as clearly as possible. The Narrative should include a step by step plan of how you will obtain your subjects, conduct the research and analyze the data. Make sure the narrative clearly explains aspects of the methodology that provide protections for your human subjects. Your narrative should be written to be read and understood by a general audience who does not have prior knowledge of your research and by committee members who may not be expert in your specific field of research. Your reviewers will only have the information you provide in your application. Explain any technical terms, jargon or acronyms. The narrative is a part of the complete application.

The application may be submitted electronically at irb@georgisouthern.edu (email attachment) or sent to the Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs, at P. O. Box 8005, Statesboro, GA 30460, fax (912) 478-071.

Personnel. Researchers that will be participating in this study are: Dr. Joanne Chopak-Foss, Associate Professor of Community Health Education and Behavior, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Chapter Sponsor of Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education Honorary, Gamma Upsilon chapter at Georgia Southern University, Brianna Carter-Research Chair of the Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education Honorary, Christy Ford-Member of the Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education Honorary, andCaitlin Strong-Service Chair of the Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education HonoraryAll members of the research committee and faculty sponsor will have unlimited access to all data collected during the research process. Data used in this study will be reported in collective form so that research participants cannot be identified. The data will be held in the Faculty Advisory Office in a locked filing cabinet at Georgia Southern University for a minimum of three years per the Board of Regents retention policy. Any information derived from the research study will be treated in a similar manner. See data analysis.

Purpose. 1. The purpose of this study is to assess and measure the sleep quality of Georgia Southern University undergraduate students. 2. The purpose is to determine if the undergraduate populace at Georgia Southern University receives the minimum amount of sleep needed for quality health. By conducting this study, we will ascertain the sleep health of undergraduate students attending this university.

Literature Review. According to Healthy People 2020, poor sleep was reported in 25% of U.S. adults; with insufficient sleep at least 15 out of every 30 days (2013). Getting adequate sleep is necessary to fight off infection, support the metabolism, perform well in school, and to work effectively (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Not getting adequate sleep over time can lead to sleep disorders and chronic short sleep which is commonly associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). 

A study conducted at North Central University among graduate and undergraduate students found that students reported later bedtimes and wake times on the weekends than weekdays; Of the student participants 33% took more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, and 43% women up more than once a night (Forquer, Camden, Gabriau, & Johnson, 2008). The results of this study support other findings that college students sleep problems, such as frequent night waking, short sleep time, and long sleep latencies; the students in this sample had shown disrupted circadian rhythms when comparing weekday and weekend sleep (Forquer et al., 2008). Another study conducted at public university focused on on-campus residences found that teaching the students how to manage their sleep effectively can improve their health and well-being (Orzech, K. M., Salafsky, D. B., & Hamilton, L., 2011). Lastly, another study at a public university found that 27% of the participants were at risk for a sleep disorder; many of the college students who were at risk for a sleep disorder may also be at risk for academic failure (Gaultney, 2010).The purpose of this study is to evaluate the sleep patterns of college aged students. .

Outcome. The results of this study will provide an initial assessment of the sleep quality of Georgia Southern University undergraduate students. The results may then be used by the Office of Health Education and Promotion to develop intervention methods for the improvement of sleep quality and implement these methods

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDINSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

through program planning. Students will be provided with the information and materials needed to change their detrimental sleep habits and promote healthy sleeping techniques.

Describe your subjects. The estimated number of participants is approximately 100 students. The subjects recruited for participation in this sleep quality assessment study will be individuals completing their undergraduate education at Georgia Southern University. The majority of the participants will be between the ages of 18 and 22. With the rise in nontraditional students, there is the possibility of outliers belonging in older age groups will be participants in this study. Participants should represent students from a diversity of majors, year of study, ethnicities, and gender that is approximate to the ratio of the entire Georgia Southern University undergraduate population.

Recruitment and Incentives: Participants for this study will be recruited through the use of both email and flyers. The email will be sent through the WEEKLY E-BUZZ to advertise the dates and time the sleep quality assessment will take place. The WEEKLY E-BUZZ is sent to all Georgia Southern University students every Monday, which will help maximize the necessary amount of participants needed to gain an adequate sample size of the undergraduate student populace to avoid inconclusive results because the number of participants was too small for the detection of statistically significant conclusions. Furthermore, flyers will be placed in strategic locations throughout Georgia Southern University’s campus, such as the Russell Union. A discounted coupon to one of the local restaurants in Statesboro, GA will be used as an incentive to encourage participation in the sleep quality assessment study. After completing the sleep quality questionnaire, the participants will receive a discounted coupon to one of the local restaurants in Statesboro, GA.

Research Procedures and Timeline: To determine the sleep quality of the undergraduate population at Georgia Southern University, approximately 100 participants will receive a self-administered, paper and pencil survey to assess the quality of their sleep in the past month. Undergraduate students who agree to participate in this study will be directed to arrive at the Russell Union Ballroom during the designated time frame and days the study will be conducted. Each participant will be assigned an identification number upon receiving the sleep quality study as a method of anonymous data collection. Participants will be instructed that the survey is a sleep quality assessment tool. The survey should take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. Upon completion of the survey, participants will hand the survey to the researcher and receive their coupon. The research study will occur over the course of three to five days in order to maximize the number of participants and achieve a representative sample of the undergraduate population at Georgia Southern University. The survey participants will complete is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman, & Kupfer, 1989). The PSQI was developed by the University of Pittsburgh’s Sleep Medicine Institute through a combination of clinical intuition and experience with sleep disorder patients, a review of sleep quality questionnaires reported in sleep health literature, and clinical experience after testing the instrument over an 18-month interval of field tests. Data collected from the PSQI will be used as an initial assess of the sleep quality of Georgia Southern University undergraduate students so that intervention methods can be developed and implemented through program planning. The PSQI will measure duration of sleep, sleep disturbance, sleep latency (time delay), day dysfunction due to sleepiness, sleep efficiency, overall sleep quality, and the use of medication to fall asleep.

Data Analysis: The data will be analyzed using IBM’s SPSS predictive analysis software. Data that will be collected from the PSQI will be anonymously gathered from the participants and will not contain any confidential information that cannot be released to the general public. The data will remain at Georgia Southern University for a minimum of three years. Copies of the data and results will be provided to the Office of Health Education and Promotion at the end of the research study and will be handled per policy within their system.

Special Conditions:

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDINSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

Risk. The risk for the participants in this study is no greater than the risk associated with daily life experiences. The minimal risk participants may incur from engaging in the study will be beneficial to them as individuals and the Georgia Southern University community. The results from this study will be used to develop and implement intervention methods to improve the sleep quality of Georgia Southern University students, which will work towards the betterment of the health and wellness of the student population.

Literature Review Reference:Buysse,D.J., Reynolds,C.F., Monk,T.H., Berman,S.R., & Kupfer,D.J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): A new instrument for psychiatric research and practice. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193-213

Forquer, L. M., Camden, A. E., Gabriau, K. M., & Johnson, C. (2008). Sleep Patterns of College Students at a Public University. Journal Of American College Health, 56(5), 563-565.

Gaultney, J. F. (2010). The Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in College Students: Impact on Academic Performance. Journal Of American College Health, 59(2), 91-97.

Orzech, K. M., Salafsky, D. B., & Hamilton, L. (2011). The State of Sleep Among College Students at a Large Public University. Journal Of American College Health, 59(7), 612-619. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.520051

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013, April 10). Sleep health. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=38