Risk stratification, Knowledge and Awareness of Obstructive sleep apnea among Egyptians attending outpatient clinics; A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that causes upper airway collapse, leading to sleep apnea or hypopnea, and is associated with serious health conditions. Despite its prevalence, it is an underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. We aimed to measure the prevalence of OSA risk and detect the level of knowledge of OSA among Egyptians attending outpatient clinics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two university hospitals in Cairo using the Berlin Questionnaire and OSA Knowledge and Attitude Questionnaire (OSAKA). The participants were recruited from the outpatient clinics of Al-Hussein University Hospital and Al-Sayed Galal University Hospital. We used a validated Arabic translated version of the Berlin Questionnaire. Ten questions across three domains were tested: the presence and severity of snoring, frequency of daytime sleepiness, and presence of obesity or hypertension. A translation of five questions from (OSAKA) deemed suitable for the general population, was also used. Results: Out of 395 participants, 345 (87%) completed the questionnaire. The participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 82 years old (40.9 ± 15.5 SD). Approximately 52% of the participants were female (n = 179) and 48% were male (n = 166). The prevalence of high risk OSA among the studied population was 17.4% (n = 60). Older age and obesity were found to be significantly associated with OSA risk. In terms of OSA awareness, 90.1% (n = 311) of the participants did not have previous knowledge of OSA, and there was no significant association between the participants’ knowledge and risk of OSA. Conclusion: OSA was associated with older age and obesit. Knowledge level was far from needed among the studied group. This lack of knowledge needs to be addressed to reduce the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of OSA.