Prevalence of snoring and craniofacial features in Malaysian children from hospital-based medical clinic population

• Published in: Sleep & breathing 2008-08, Vol.12 (3), p.269-274
• Main Authors: Banabilh, Saeed M., Asha’ari, Zamzil Amin, Hamid, Suzina Sheikh Ab
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Ambulatory Care Facilities - statistics & numerical data; Anthropometry; Biological and medical sciences; Cephalometry; Child; Dentistry; Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes; Facial Bones - anatomy & histology; Facial Bones - diagnostic imaging; Female; Forensic medicine; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Malaysia - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Original Article; Otorhinolaryngology; Pediatrics; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Radiography; Skull - anatomy & histology; Skull - diagnostic imaging; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - epidemiology; Sleep. Vigilance; Snoring - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 1520-9512; 1522-1709
• DOI: 10.1007/s11325-007-0154-6

Snoring is considered as the most common clinical symptom of obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome. However, many snoring studies were done in western population, and data from around Asia is scarce. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of snoring among Malaysian children from hospital-based medical clinic population setting and to compare the craniofacial features of children with and without snoring using cephalometric analysis. A cross-sectional study among children aged 7–15 years were carried out in Hospital Kuala Terengganu. Sleep behavior questionnaire (Berlin questionnaire) was given to 500 children. The respondents were divided into snoring and non-snoring groups. Thirty children from each group were randomly selected to undergo a cephalometric X-ray. For each lateral cephalometric radiograph, 17 parameters consisting bony, soft tissue, and angular measurements were recorded using computer software VixWin2000. Independent t test was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the whole questionnaire respondents were 317 (46 snoring and 271 non-snoring), hence, the prevalence of snoring in our survey population was 14.51%. The cephalometric X-ray showed that the snoring children manifested a significant different craniofacial features, such as narrow airway at the level of the soft palate and oropharynx ( p