ABSTRACT Objectives To identify the prevalence and polysomnography (PSG) features of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in subcategories of children with obesity. Methods Children with obstructive sleep‐disordered breathing evaluated in pediatric otolaryngology clinic and referred for PSG between January 2023 and December 2023 were included. Children with a history of tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy were excluded. Collected data included demographics, comorbidities, PSG parameters, and BMI categories including underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obesity (Class I, II, and III). The prevalence of OSA and PSG parameters were compared using the χ 2 test, logistic regression, multivariate analysis of variance, and linear regression models. p 10). PSG parameters including obstructive apnea‐hypopnea index, minimum SpO 2 , and mean CO 2 differed among BMI categories ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion The prevalence of OSA varies among weight groups. The severity of obesity is associated with increased odds of OSA and OSA severity. Obesity has a significant effect on minimum SpO 2 saturation and mean CO 2 levels. The utility of these findings in decision‐making for PSG referral and surgical planning merits further investigation. Level of Evidence 4.
Gedamu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.