The development of a snoring symptoms inventory.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a patient-derived snoring questionnaire, the Snoring Symptoms Inventory (SSI), and explore its structure and relationship to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS); and to assess the sensitivity of the SSI to change.


METHODS
The SSI was developed from an open-ended questionnaire given to 120 habitual snorers. The 25 symptoms reported compose the SSI. This study examines 261 subsequent snorers assessed between April 1998 and August 2002, who completed both the SSI and the ESS. Fifty-five of them underwent laser uvulopalatoplasty and their preoperative and postoperative SSI results were compared.


RESULTS
The total SSI score is the key outcome derived. Principal component analysis identified two further dimensions, one contrasting family/social with work-related problems and another comparing physical problems with embarrassment. The total score correlated weakly with the ESS. Laser uvulopalatoplasty significantly reduced patients' overall symptom severity and family and socially related problems.


CONCLUSIONS
The SSI is a comprehensive and sensitive measure for assessing snoring, making it a useful clinical outcome tool for snoring treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The SSI is a new, useful snoring questionnaire.


METHODS
B-2b.
Douglas
Susan A
SA
The Queen's Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom. SusanADouglas@aol.com
Webster
Simon
S
El Badawey
Mohammed Reda
MR
Drinnan
Michael
M
Matthews
John N S
JN
Gibson
G John
GJ
Wilson
Janet A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome