title: Prevalence and factors associated with snoring in 3-year olds: early links with behavioral adjustment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) symptoms in a community sample of New Zealand 3-year olds. To examine sleep, demographic, health, environmental, familial, perinatal, and behavioral adjustment factors associated with habitual snoring.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study, in which parents of 823 children aged 3 years 0 months to 3 years 12 months (M:F=1:0.9) were recruited from the community. Participants completed questionnaires designed to assess information relevant to their children's sleep, with a particular focus on snoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents reported snoring at least once a week in 36.9% of children, and habitual snoring (more than four nights per week) in 11.3% of children. Univariate analysis showed habitual snoring was more common amongst Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) (P=0.04) and males (P=0.05), and that habitual snorers came from more socio-economically deprived neighborhoods (P<0.01). Several other SDB-related symptoms were significantly associated with habitual snoring: mouth breathing, sweating profusely, waking during the night, sleeping with neck extended, constant runny nose, and suffering from tonsillitis. Mouth breathing was the most strongly associated. Multivariate analyzes revealed a strong positive relationship between snoring and some health and familial factors, as well as parent reported child irritability (OR=2.83; 95% CI 1.4-5.6) and hyperactivity (OR=1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of habitual snoring amongst New Zealand pre-schoolers is similar to that reported elsewhere. Factors associated with habitual snoring include male gender, Māori ethnicity, and poorer deprivation neighborhood, as well as a variety of other environmental and health factors. The data provide evidence that habitual snoring associated with irritable and hyperactive behavior is evident in children as young as three.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Amelia I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schaughency
authors.forename: Barbara C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Galland
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires