Prevalence and risk factors for sleep disordered breathing in a Puerto Rican middle-aged population

The Berlin Questionnaire [an outcome of a primary care physicians' conference held in Berlin, Germany, in 1996 that was created to identify patients at high risk for sleep disordered breathing (SDB)] was administered to a representative sample of middle-age population in Puerto Rico in order to document the prevalence of SDB and its associated risk factors.

The island was divided in six regions to maintain heterogeneity and to have a representative sample of the population per region. Puerto Rican subjects between 30-60 years old were recruited in shopping malls, and questionnaires were filled. For each subject, body weight, neck circumference, and height were measured. Information regarding the diagnosis of hypertension was based upon a positive or negative response from study subject in a questionnaire. Data was collected for 6 months.

A total of 290 subjects, all of Puerto Rican origin, were interviewed. Fifty-eight percent of the evaluated sample was found at high risk of SDB. Being male, hypertensive, and obese were the strongest risk factors for the development of SDB. In women, a neck size above 15 cm was a significant risk factor.

This is the first time a prevalence study for SDB is done among a representative sample of subjects of Puerto Rican origin. It is the first step in documenting how SDB affects this ethnic group.