Health Policy Manag.  2024 Jun;34(2):141-155. 10.4332/KJHPA.2024.34.2.141.

Association between Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Subjective Health and Health-Related Quality of Life of the Korean Middle-Aged and Elderly Population

• Jun NR
• Kim MS
• Yang JM
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2562572
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2024.34.2.141

Abstract

Background
This study aimed to identified the relationship between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, subjective health, and health-related quality of life among the middle-aged and elderly population in Korea.
Methods
Adults aged 40 or older were extracted from the total 22,559 respondents to the 2019–2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VIII, and secondary analysis was conducted on a total of 6,659 middle-aged and elderly people with no missing values. Logistic regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea risk factors and subjective health as well as quality of life.
Results
The subjective health status decline in the high-risk group compared to the non-risk group for obstructive sleep apnea was statistically significantly higher, with an odds ratio of 1.84 (p<0.001). The health-related quality of life was also statistically significantly lower by 0.02 points (β, –0.02; p<0.001). As a result of subgroup analysis on specific variables, the association between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and subjective health and health-related quality of life was statistically significant depending on gender, sleep time, presence of depression, household income, and number of household members. Based on the obstructive sleep apnea risk group, women had a higher correlation with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life scores than men. Sleeping time of more than 8 hours or less than 6 hours was more associated with low subjective health and lower health-related quality of life score than sleeping time of 6–8 hours. Patients with depression were more likely to have low subjective health than those without depression. The lower the household income level and the smaller the number of household members, the higher the association with low subjective health and the lower the health-related quality of life score.
Conclusion
It is essential to recognize that the risk of obstructive sleep apnea not only directly affects sleep disorders but also impacts individuals’ subjective health and quality of life. Consequently, social support and education should be provided to raise awareness of this issue. Particularly, programs for preventing and managing obstructive sleep apnea should target vulnerable groups such as women, individuals in single-person households, low household income, and those with depression, aiming to improve their subjective health and quality of life.

Keyword

Health-related quality of life; Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Diagnostic self evaluation; Obstructive sleep apnea