PATIENT AWARENESS OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess self-reported patient awareness of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) signs and symptoms in the adult primary care setting and to share information about OSA to participants. Methods: This survey study had a cross-sectional research design with convenient sampling methods. Participants were English-speaking patients aged 18-90. The survey consisted of 15 questions assessing demographic characteristics and sleep apnea awareness. The survey was distributed during June 2012 at the UNTHSC Adult Primary Care Center in Fort Worth, TX. After survey completion, each participant was offered an informative brochure about OSA. SPSS Version 19 was used to complete ANOVA, Scheffé, and Independent-Samples T-Tests. Results: A total of 204 participants met the inclusion criteria. Over half of all participants claimed awareness of the snoring (71.9%), overweight (70.6%), hypertension (52.9%), pauses in breathing (81.9%) and daytime sleepiness (66.2%) aspects of sleep apnea. Participants claiming to be "Somewhat Knowledgeable" and "Very Knowledgeable" of OSA had higher overall awareness scores than those claiming no knowledge (p<.001). Those with a previous sleep apnea diagnosis had more overall awareness than those without (p<.001). African Americans had less overall awareness than Caucasians (p=.002). Television was the least reliable source for obtaining sleep apnea information (p<.05). Degree holders had higher overall awareness scores than those who completed less than 12th grade (p=.019) and those with a high school diploma/GED (p=.002). No overall awareness differences were found among gender, age, BMI level, or hypertension diagnosis sub-groups. Conclusions: This study found that a majority of adult primary care patients were aware of particular signs, symptoms, and co-morbidities associated with OSA. However, disparities were found to exist among certain demographic sub-groups and should be addressed to improve patient understanding of OSA. Increased awareness of OSA is essential to early detection and treatment of the disease.