Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward obstructive sleep apnea among high-risk populations

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Public Health
• Health Behavior

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) poses significant health risks.
• Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is crucial for effective OSA prevention and management.
• A high-risk population in Suzhou, China, was targeted for KAP assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) high-risk population.
• To identify factors influencing KAP towards OSA prevention and management.
• To inform the development of targeted interventions for OSA.

Main Methods:

• A web-based, cross-sectional study conducted from October 2023 to January 2024.
• Convenience sampling utilized an online questionnaire distributed via the Sojump platform.
• 501 valid questionnaires were collected from the OSA high-risk population in Suzhou, China.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated adequate knowledge (72.26% above threshold) and moderate attitudes (54.09% above threshold) but lower practice levels (25.95% above threshold).
• Older age and lower educational attainment were linked to lower knowledge; higher education correlated positively with knowledge.
• Knowledge positively influenced attitudes, which in turn positively influenced practices; lower income was associated with lower practice scores.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists between knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding OSA.
• Multifaceted interventions addressing access, affordability, and self-efficacy are needed.
• Education alone is insufficient; integrated approaches are essential for improving OSA management.