A community study of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. Prevalence

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995 Aug;152(2):711-6. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.152.2.7633731.

Abstract

We conducted a study of the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in subjects derived from a random sample of the population. A total of 2,202 subjects 35 to 69 yr of age were approached. Four hundred forty-one answered a questionnaire concerning their sleep symptoms, general health, and habits such as alcohol consumption, and they were monitored for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The sample was biased in favor of snorers and those with other subjective sleep complaints. Fifty-six percent of the subjects were men. Of the 441 subjects 79 (17.9%) had SDB (more than 15 episodes of apnea or hypopnea per hour: respiratory distress index [RDI] > or = 15), 289 were snorers but had RDI < 15, and 73 were nonsnorers. The prevalence of SDB in this sample was therefore at least 3.6% (79 of 2,204). The minimum prevalence in men was 5.7%, and in women it was 1.2%. Logistic regression identified only male sex as an independent predictor of snoring without SDB (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.24; 95% CI, 1.33 to 7.82), body mass index (adjusted OR for an increase of 5 kg/m2, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.05), and alcohol consumption (adjusted OR for an increase of 10 g/day, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.37) were not significant predictors of snoring. The independent predictors of SDB among snorers were age (adjusted OR for an increase of 5 yr, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.47) and neck circumference (adjusted OR for an increase of 2 cm, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.00).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Body Mass Index
  • Female
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neck / anatomy & histology
  • New South Wales / epidemiology
  • Polysomnography
  • Prevalence
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / epidemiology
  • Selection Bias
  • Sex Factors
  • Sleep Apnea Syndromes / epidemiology*
  • Snoring / epidemiology*