Sleep-disordered breathing, behavior, and academic performance in Taiwan schoolchildren.
OBJECTIVE
The behaviors of children may be affected by sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This study adopts a cross-sectional approach to investigate the relationship between the sleep apneas-hypopneas index during sleep and the behavioral and academic performance of schoolchildren in Taiwan.


METHODS
A total of 138 children (85 boys and 53 girls), ages 6-11, were recruited from two elementary schools to participate in this study. Overnight polysomnographic examinations in hospital were performed to assess sleep quality, including total sleep time, arousal index, apneas-hypopneas index, desaturation index, and lowest oxygen saturation, as well as the percentage of total sleep time spent in rapid eye movement, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4. The children's parents and teachers were required to complete a Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher's Report Form to assess child behavior and academic achievement.


RESULTS
Compared with children without SDB (apneas-hypopneas index ≤1), those with severe SDB (apneas-hypopneas index >15) exhibited more irregular behavioral performance in somatic complaints (odds ratio (OR) = 9.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-85.71) and attention (OR = 9.95; 95% CI = 1.02-97.00). However, different severities of SDB groups did not show significant associations in academic performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that children with severe SDB may predispose to somatic complaints and attention problems so that sleep examination or medical intervention might be provided at an early age in these children.
Ting
Hua
H
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chung-Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Wong
Ruey-Hong
RH
Yang
Hao-Jan
HJ
Lee
Shu-Ping
SP
Lee
Shin-Da
SD
Wang
Lee
L
D000124:Achievement; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010552:Personality Assessment; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan