Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Developmental Age: 22-item Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire for an Observational Descriptive Investigation

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: To perform an observational descriptive study of the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) in a population of children, evaluating the prevalence and role of sex and age variables. Materials and Methods: The 22-item Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) was administered to parents of children aged 3 to 12 years. The questionnaire is a very simple tool because it allows to indicate patients with possible OSAS diagnosis through a cut-off of 0.33. The anonymous diagnostic questionnaire, available in digital format, was administered to the population under study by link or QR code. Only the questionnaires completed in all their parts were recorded and analyzed Results: 832 questionnaires were collected. 154 subjects obtained a PSQ score > 0.33 and the prevalence of OSAS was 18.51%. The Chi-square test showed a statistically significant association between the PSQ score > 0.33 and male sex. The higher prevalence of subjects with a value of PSQ > 0.33 (n = 277) are aged 3-4-5 years, followed by the 6-7-8 range in the group with PSQ score > 0.33, p < 0.05. Conclusions: The prevalence of OSAS was 18.51% in children aged 3-12 years. The variables male biological sex and the age group 3-8 year were statistically significant for subjects with OSAS diagnosis. Clinical Relevance: This study underlines the use of the 22-item Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire as a first screening tool to identify children at risk of OSAS.