The development of a snoring symptoms inventory

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Otolaryngology
• Quality of Life Assessment

Background:

• Snoring significantly impacts quality of life, affecting social, family, and work domains.
• Existing tools may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of snoring-related issues.
• A validated, patient-derived measure is needed to assess snoring symptom severity and treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Snoring Symptoms Inventory (SSI), a patient-derived questionnaire.
• To explore the structural dimensions of snoring symptoms measured by the SSI.
• To assess the relationship between the SSI and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the SSI's sensitivity to therapeutic change.

Main Methods:

• The SSI was developed from an open-ended questionnaire administered to 120 habitual snorers, resulting in 25 symptom items.
• A cohort of 261 snorers completed both the SSI and ESS.
• Principal component analysis was used to determine the SSI's structure. Laser uvulopalatoplasty outcomes were compared using pre- and post-operative SSI scores in 55 patients.

Main Results:

• Principal component analysis revealed two key dimensions: family/social vs. work-related problems, and physical problems vs. embarrassment.
• The total SSI score showed a weak correlation with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).
• Laser uvulopalatoplasty significantly improved overall snoring symptom severity, particularly family and social problems, as measured by the SSI.

Conclusions:

• The Snoring Symptoms Inventory (SSI) is a comprehensive and sensitive tool for assessing snoring.
• The SSI effectively captures the diverse impacts of snoring on patients' lives.
• The SSI serves as a valuable clinical outcome measure for evaluating snoring treatments.