Differences in Anthropometric and Clinical Features among Preschoolers, School-Age Children, and Adolescents with Obstructive Sleep Apnea—A Hospital-Based Study in Taiwan

Abstract

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with adverse health outcomes; however, little is known about the diversity of this population. This retrospective study aims to investigate age-related differences in the anthropometric and clinical features of this population. A total of 253 Taiwanese children (70 (27.7%) girls and 183 (72.3%) boys) with OSA were reviewed. Their median age, body mass index (BMI) z-score, and apnea-hypopnea index were 6.9 years, 0.87, and 9.5 events/h, respectively. The cohort was divided into three subgroups: ‘preschoolers’ (≥2 and <6 years), ‘school-age children’ (≥6 and <10 years), and ‘adolescents (≥10 and <18 years)’. The percentage of the male sex, BMI z-score, neck circumference, systolic blood pressure z-score, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio tended to increase with age. Adenoid grades tended to decrease with age. Overall, disease severity was independently correlated with neck circumference, tonsil size, and adenoid grade. Increased neck circumference and tonsillar hypertrophy were the most influential factors for younger children, whereas adenoidal hypertrophy became more important at an older age. In conclusion, gender prevalence ratio, anthropometric measures, and clinical features varied with age, and the pathogenic drivers were not necessarily the same as the aggravating ones.