Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and associated symptoms in 3–11‐year‐old Turkish children

Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in 3–11‐year‐old Turkish children. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Zonguldak, northwestern Turkey. Symptomatic children were identified by using a self‐administered questionnaire and were classified into three groups: nonsnorers, occasional snorers, and habitual snorers. All habitual snoring children were invited to undergo polysomnography (PSG). Nine hundred fifty‐four children (79.5%) were nonsnorers, 205 (17.2%) were occasional snorers, and 39 (3.3%) were habitual snorers. There was no significant relationship between gender and habitual snoring (male, 3.4%; female, 3.1%; P > 0.05; odds ratio (OR), 1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59–2.14). There was a statistically significant relationship between habitual snoring and allergic rhinitis (OR, 4.23; 95% CI, 2.14–8.35). Four children who snored every night, and who had apnea spells and/or troubled sleep, underwent adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy before polysomnographic evaluation because of clinical detoriation. Twenty‐eight of 39 children with habitual snoring participated in PSG evaluation. PSG revealed that 11 children (0.9% of the total population) had OSAS. When 4 operated children were added to these 28 children, we found the minimum prevalence of OSAS to be 1.3% in our study group. There was a significant correlation between OSAS and troubled sleeping ( P < 0.001; OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 1.33–14.3). We found the prevalence of habitual snoring to be 3.3% in Turkish children by using self‐administered questionnaires. Allergic rhinitis was significantly correlated with habitual snoring. Minimum estimated prevalence of OSAS was found to be 1.3%. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2005; 39:251–256.