Prevalence and correlates of snoring in adolescents

Snoring can occur alone or it may be the presenting feature of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and other common chronic conditions. In our study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of snoring in adolescent students in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study was designed and students were selected from 20 secondary and high schools, in 5 different zones in Tehran in order to have a representative sample of the adolescent population. A total of 2900 students (1200 male and 1700 female students) 11-17 year-old who were attending secondary and high schools were investigated. Information was collected via a structured face-to-face interview, based on a questionnaire. In addition to snoring, nocturnal cough, asthma-related symptoms, and daytime symptoms were also questioned. BMI was measured by two trained physicians. The prevalence of snoring was 7.9% (4.8% in girls and 12.4% in boys). The prevalence of snoring was significantly higher among males (P< 0.05). Snoring was positively associated with asthma and nocturnal cough. Overweight/obese adolescents had significantly higher rates of snoring and asthma symptoms. Prevalence of daytime symptoms increased significantly in the snoring group.These results suggest that snoring is associated with multiple factors in adolescents. We conclude that the prevalence of snoring is relatively high in children of this region. This highlights the need for awareness among physicians about the problem of sleep-disordered breathing, especially in children with asthma and obesity, and also the need for further studies to measure the prevalence of sleep breathing disorders among Iranians.