The evaluation of the Croatian version of the Epworth sleepiness scale and STOP questionnaire as screening tools for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

• Published in: Sleep & breathing 2012-09, Vol.16 (3), p.793-802
• Main Authors: Pecotic, Renata, Dodig, Ivana Pavlinac, Valic, Maja, Ivkovic, Natalija, Dogas, Zoran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Croatia; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Dentistry; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence - diagnosis; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence - epidemiology; Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Head and neck surgery. Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Original Article; Otorhinolaryngology; Pediatrics; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Questionnaires; Reproducibility of Results; Sleep apnea; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnosis; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - epidemiology; Sleep. Vigilance; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the upper aerodigestive tract; Translating; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 1520-9512; 1522-1709
• DOI: 10.1007/s11325-011-0578-x

Purpose Growing awareness of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has increased the need for concise and reliable screening tools. The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) has been validated in numerous languages and ethnic groups, since it was originally designed for the English-speaking population. The STOP questionnaire was developed as a novel OSAS screening tool in surgical patients, but has not been validated in the general population. The present study was undertaken to provide reliable and validated ESS in the Croatian language and to evaluate the ESS and STOP as screening instruments for OSAS. Methods The Croatian version of ESS and STOP questionnaire was administered to 217 patients referred to the Split Sleep Medicine Center and 208 healthy control subjects. Test–retest reliability was investigated in 20 healthy subjects. Results The ESS score was significantly higher for the patients referred to the Split Sleep Medicine Center compared to the control group (8.2 ± 5.0 vs. 5.9 ± 3.8, p