Prevalence of sleep disorders in children of a public hospital in São Paulo.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders in a sample of children from a public hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.


METHODS
330 children, who came to the clinical laboratory, were consecutively investigated for sleep disorders, using the sleep disturbance scale for children. Gender, age, and social/economical classification were considered.


RESULTS
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) showed higher prevalence in our sample (55%) than in data found in the literature. Prevalence of sleep hyperhydrosis (SHY) was 27% considering the whole sample. Boys and children in age range 7.1 to 11 years old showed higher prevalence for SDB as well as children belonging to lower social/economic classifications who were also more prevalent for disorders in the transition of sleep-wakefulness.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep disorders were highly prevailing in our study, mostly SDB and SHY which were exceedingly more prevalent in boys in relation to international literature.
Potasz
Clarisse
C
Children's Hospital Candido Fontoura, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Juliano
Maria Ligia
ML
Varela
Maria José
MJ
Ferraz
Patrícia Gouveia
PG
Carvalho
Luciane Bizari de
LB
Prado
Lucila Fernandes do
LF
Prado
Gilmar Fernandes do
GF
D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires