Health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms in children with suspected sleep-disordered breathing.
OBJECTIVE
Snoring and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are highly prevalent among children. The increasing trends of obesity in the pediatric population further predict an exacerbation of this public health problem. However, the impact of SDB on mood and quality of life and the confounder effect of obesity in this setting are unclear.


METHODS
We studied a group of 85 clinically referred children, aged 8 to 12 years, with snoring and suspected SDB and 35 asymptomatic children (controls). All children completed validated questionnaires for the presence of depression (Children's Depression Inventory) and for health-related quality of life (PedsQL), and parents completed the Parent Report version of the PedsQL. Children referred to the Sleep Medicine Center for sleep-disordered breathing were further subdivided according to their body mass index > 95% for age and sex (n = 44) and with BMI < 95% for age and sex as ClinN1 (n = 41).


RESULTS
Parentally reported quality of life and physical health differed between obese and nonobese children. However, both groups with SDB had more-impaired quality of life and depressive symptoms than did controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with suspected SDB, regardless of the severity of apnea-hypopnea index or the presence of obesity, had more impairments in quality of life and depressive symptoms than did children who did not snore.
Crabtree
Valerie McLaughlin
VM
Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine and Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY 40202, USA. Valerie.Crabtree@louisville.edu
Varni
James W
JW
Gozal
David
D
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004585:Electrooculography; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires