{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T19:51:36Z","timestamp":1792612296421,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,27]],"date-time":"2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740614400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor condition that affects the quality of sleep for those who have it. The diagnosis is made according to the consensus criteria by the National Institute of Health panel as follows: \u201c(i) a strong desire to move one\u2019s legs, usually in response to an unpleasant sensation; (ii) a stronger urge in the evening and at night; (iii) movement usually satisfies the urge; and (iv) rest increases the urge.\u201d This study aims to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of RLS among medical students in Saudi Arabia; furthermore, the severity and impact of RLS on sleep status.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methodology:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study conducted between 2022 and 2024 in medical students in Saudi Arabia. Three hundred and thirty-one students (233 female and 98 male) participated and completed an online consented questionnaire to detect the prevalence of RLS and associated risk factors including medical comorbidities, smoking, and caffeine intake based on criteria proposed by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Furthermore, the severity and impact of RLS on sleep status were studied using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the RLS rating scale, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The frequency of RLS among medical students is 20.2%. The severity of RLS reported in 23.9% of the students with mild-to-severe rates. About 40.3% of students with RLS had daytime fatigue and 33.4% had sleep disturbances. About 64.1% of medical students who suffer from RLS have associated medical comorbidities including iron-deficiency anemia, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy. Thirty-seven percent are smokers and 42.9% of students who had 3\u20134 cups of coffee daily had RLS compared to 18.6% of others who did not.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>RLS has a significant prevalence among medical students, in Saudi Arabia. RLS is highly associated with sleeping disturbance and daytime fatigue. Caffeine and smoking are considered risk factors for RLS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/aam.aam_232_24","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,28]],"date-time":"2025-02-28T08:03:39Z","timestamp":1740729819000},"page":"421-426","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Prevalence and Risk Factors of Restless Legs Syndrome among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: An Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Razan","family":"Alabdulqader","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raghad","family":"Alqahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khadija","family":"Alsunaikh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Almousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ammar","family":"Alsalem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alia","family":"Alokley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"987689.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.987689","article-title":"The prevalence of and risk factors for restless legs syndrome: A nationwide study","volume":"13","author":"AlShareef","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"R2-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.4103\/ajm.AJM_123_17","article-title":"The prevalence of restless leg syndrome among pregnant Saudi women","volume":"8","author":"Khan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Avicenna J Med"},{"key":"R3-20260423","first-page":"608","article-title":"The frequency and associated factors of restless leg syndrome among pregnant women in 3rd trimester","volume":"4","author":"Qaiser","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Health Rehabil 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scale","volume":"16","author":"Shalash","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sleep Med"},{"key":"R7-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7302828.","DOI":"10.1155\/2020\/7302828","article-title":"Prevalence of restless legs syndrome among medical students of Karachi: An experience from a developing country","volume":"2020","author":"Ishaq","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sleep Disord"},{"key":"R8-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.4103\/1817-1737.160839","article-title":"Prevalence of restless legs syndrome and associated risk factors among middle-aged Saudi population","volume":"10","author":"Wali","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ann Thorac Med"},{"key":"R9-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"763","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jped.2019.09.007","article-title":"Sleep and restless legs syndrome in female adolescents with idiopathic musculoskeletal pain","volume":"96","author":"Amorim","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Pediatr (Rio J)"},{"key":"R10-20260423","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e28896.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e28896","article-title":"Restless legs syndrome variants: A systematic review","volume":"10","author":"Haghshenas","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"}],"container-title":["Annals of African 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