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The correlation among obesity, apnea-hypopnea index, and tonsil size in children

Yuen-yu Lam1, Eric Y T Chan, Daniel K Ng

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Kwong Wah Hospital, 25 Waterloo Road, Hong Kong SAR.

Chest
|December 15, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is linked to more severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Higher BMI Z scores and tonsil size correlate with increased apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in children, even after accounting for other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Childhood Obesity Research
  • Respiratory Health

Background:

  • The link between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity is established in adults, but less clear in children.
  • Existing data on childhood OSA and obesity show inconsistencies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between the degree of obesity and OSA severity in children.
  • To determine if obesity is a significant predictor of OSA severity in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 482 children (ages 1-15) referred to a sleep laboratory.
  • Obesity defined by body mass index z score (BMI Z score) > 1.96.
  • Correlation between BMI Z score and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) assessed, adjusting for age, gender, and tonsil size using multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

  • Obese children exhibited a significantly higher AHI compared to nonobese children.
  • BMI Z score showed a significant positive correlation with log-transformed AHI (Ln[AHI]).
  • Both BMI Z score and tonsil size remained significant predictors of Ln(AHI) after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions:

  • The degree of obesity, measured by BMI Z score, is significantly associated with OSA severity (AHI) in children.
  • Tonsil size also plays a significant role in OSA severity in this pediatric cohort.
  • While statistically significant, the correlation between obesity and OSA severity in children is mild.
Abstract

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