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

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to perform an observational descriptive study of the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) in a population of children by evaluating the prevalence and role of sex and age variables. 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 since it allows for the indication of 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 a link or QR code. Only the questionnaires completed in all their parts were recorded and analyzed. Eight hundred and thirty-two questionnaires were collected. One hundred and fifty-four 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. The prevalence of OSAS was 18.51% in children aged 3 to 12 years. The variables male biological sex and the age group 3–8 year were statistically significant for subjects with OSAS diagnosis. This study underlines the use of the 22-item Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire as a first screening tool to identify children at risk of OSAS.

Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea in Newly Diagnosed Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients

“…Childhood OSA disrupts sleep due to upper airway problems, leading to cardiovascular, cognitive, and metabolic issues [ 17 , 18 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. This can cause endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, metabolic problems, daytime sleepiness, and attention deficits [ 17 ].…”

“…In comparison to Chervin et al’s [ 21 ] initial validation and reliability study, Umano et al [ 22 ] found that the PSQ displayed a remarkable 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity in detecting OSA, while the OSA-18 questionnaire, which is another questionnaire used for OSA diagnosis, showed a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 55% for OSA diagnosis. These findings have also guided our application in patients, suggesting that in clinical settings with limited access to PSG, the PSQ could be utilized to classify disease severity and identify children in urgent need of sleep evaluation [ 22 , 27 ].…”

Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Simple Snoring: Efficacy of a New Mandibular Advancement Device

“…Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a chronic respiratory disorder characterized by recurrent partial or complete obstructions of the upper airways during sleep. It is a condition that can affect both pediatric [1] and adult patients [2]. Airway obstructions manifest as a reduction (hypopnea) or complete collapse (apnea) of respiratory airflow, accompanied by persistent chest and abdominal respiratory efforts aimed at overcoming the obstructive phenomenon [3].…”