OSAS in developing age: Screening of a Southern Italy population

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of OSAS' risk in children of the province of Catanzaro, Italy. Materials and methods: A sample of 2445 scoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years of the province of Catanzaro (Italy) were administered the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaires (PSQs) in its validated Italian version. A total of 1772 questionnaires were collected; however, 130 of them were excluded, and 1642 questionnaires were accepted and scored. Results: According to final scores of questionnaires, 172 children (10.47%) were considered at risk for OSAS. No statistically significant association between sex and risk of OSAS was found (p = 0.189). The risk of OSAS was equally distributed in all ages (p = 0.984). It was found that the most common habits in children with risk of OSAS were: snoring, heavy or noisy breathing, oral breathing, xerostomia, difficulty waking up in the morning, behavioural disturbances during the day and excess weight. Conclusion: The study showed a high risk of OSAS, suggesting the importance of first-level screening and the need to pay special attention to the diagnosis of this syndrome.