Abstract
Background: Nursing students frequently experience challenges related to physical activity, perceived stress, and sleep quality, which significantly influence their health and academic performance. Physical inactivity is recognized as a major global risk factor for morbidity and mortality.
Objective: To determine the association between physical activity, perceived stress, and sleep quality among nursing students in Peshawar.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 undergraduate nursing students from public and private institutions in Peshawar between July and December 2025. Participants were selected through convenient sampling. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and sleep quality using the Sleep Quality Scale (SQS). Data was analysed using SPSS version 23 and presented as frequencies and percentages.
Results: Out of 384 undergraduate nursing students with the mean age (22.1 ± 1.8 Years) and academic performance (3.2 ± 0.4 GPA). Among them, 62.2% reported moderate physical activity, 81% had moderate perceived stress, and 67.2% experienced moderate sleep problems. A significant association was found between physical activity and sleep quality, whereas no significant association was observed between physical activity and perceived stress.
Conclusion: Most nursing students demonstrated moderate levels of physical activity, stress, and sleep disturbances. Increased physical activity was associated with better sleep quality but did not significantly reduce perceived stress. Promoting active lifestyles may improve sleep health among nursing students.