Optimizing Early Detection: Validating Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 (OSA-18) in Turkish-Speaking Pediatric Patients.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Quality of Life Research
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Quality of life (QoL) is crucial for evaluating pediatric well-being, especially in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS).
• Standardized tools are needed to assess QoL in diverse linguistic and cultural groups.
• The OSA-18 questionnaire is a recognized instrument for measuring QoL in children with OSAS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To culturally adapt and validate the Turkish version of the OSA-18 questionnaire.
• To establish the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Turkish OSA-18 scale.
• To provide a culturally relevant tool for assessing QoL in Turkish-speaking children with OSAS.

Main Methods:

• Translation and cultural adaptation of the OSA-18 questionnaire for Turkish.
• Study conducted with 180 children (100 boys, 80 girls; mean age 6.16±2.14 years).
• Inclusion of an OSAS patient group (post-adenotonsillectomy) and a healthy control group; assessment of reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Main Results:

• The Turkish OSA-18 questionnaire demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.929) and test-retest reliability.
• Validity was confirmed by positive correlations with the Mallampati score and tonsil/adenoid size.
• Statistically significant reduction in OSA-18 scores postoperatively indicated strong responsiveness to intervention.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish version of the OSA-18 is a suitable and reliable tool for assessing QoL in children with OSAS.
• This validated questionnaire will facilitate future research on pediatric OSAS and QoL in Turkish-speaking populations.
• The tool is quick, easy to use, and valuable for clinical evaluation and research in pediatric sleep medicine.