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

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among the high-risk population of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) towards OSA prevention and management.

This web-based cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2023 and January 2024 at Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, using convenience sampling through an online questionnaire distributed via the Sojump platform. A self-designed questionnaire was applied to collect demographic information of the OSA high-risk population in Suzhou, China, and to assess their KAP toward OSA prevention and management. An 80% cutoff of the total score for each dimension was applied for descriptive classification of knowledge, attitudes, and practices, a threshold commonly used in KAP studies.

A total of 501 valid questionnaires were collected. Participants had a mean knowledge score of 12.23 ± 2.04 (72.26% above the threshold) and a mean attitude score of 40.02 ± 5.31 (54.09% above the threshold), while practice levels were lower, with a mean score of 33.64 ± 8.58 (25.95% above the threshold). Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that older age (≥ 56 years) was independently associated with lower knowledge scores, whereas higher educational attainment was positively associated with knowledge. Knowledge scores were positively associated with attitude scores, and attitude scores were independently associated with practice scores. In addition, lower household income was associated with lower practice scores. Structural equation modeling indicated that knowledge was positively associated with attitudes, and attitudes were positively associated with practices.

These findings underscore a gap between knowledge, attitudes, and practices, suggesting that multifaceted interventions addressing access, affordability, and patient self-efficacy, rather than education alone, are warranted.

Not applicable.