Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2011 Dec;18(2):87-94.

Snoring Clinic Visitors' Knowledge of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

• Lee S
• Lee JS
• Shin HB
• Cho SY
• Rhee CS
• Jeong DU

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
OSAS (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome) is a common disorder and its consequences are often serious. It is important to detect the disorder early in the course for proper treatment. This study is to grasp the snoring clinic visitors' knowledge level of OSAS.
METHODS
One hundred and seventy-nine visitors at the of snoring clinic of Seoul National University Hospital were surveyed by questionnaire about reasons of visit and knowledge of treatment methods of snoring and OSAS, diagnostic method, OSAS-related symptoms, and complications.
RESULTS
Most of the respondents (89.4%) "have already heard about OSAS" and the major sources of information was the mass media (58.1%) such as television and radio. More than half (60.3%) were aware that snoring is closely related to OSAS. More than half (59.8%) recognized that a nocturnal polysomnograpy was necessary for proper diagnosis. Two thirds (67%) of the respondents noted surgery as a treatment for snoring. More than half (55.9%) answered that they would follow the doctor's advice on the treatment choice. Only 12.3% of respondents "have heard about nCPAP". No one chose nCPAP (nasal continuous positive airway pressure) as a treatment for either snoring or OSAS. About one third (34.6%) of the respondents were aware that OSAS is related to hypertension. Only 12.8% noted that OSAS is related to diabetes mellitus.
CONCLUSION
Visitors at the snoring clinic were found to have substantially limited knowledge of health risks and proper treatments of OSAS. We suggest that it is crucially important to educate patients and offer easy-to-understand information on snoring and OSAS. We predict that provision of educaiton and information to patients and general public will faciliate the diagnosis and treatment of snoring and OSAS and reduce the related disorders such as hypertension, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.

Keyword

Obstructive sleep apnea; Snoring; Knowledge; Complications; Continuous positive airway presesure

MeSH Terms

Diabetes Mellitus
Hand Strength
Humans
Hypertension
Mass Media
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sleep Apnea Syndromes
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive
Snoring
Stroke
Television