title: Quality of life in children with sleep-disordered breathing.
abstract: Children may present sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and suffer with adverse effects upon their quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the quality of life of children with SDB, compared subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and primary snoring (PS), and identified which areas in the OSA-18 questionnaire are more affected.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a historical cohort cross-sectional study carried out on a consecutive sample of children with history of snoring and adenotonsillar hyperplasia. The subject's quality of life was assessed based on the answers their caregivers gave in the OSA-18 questionnaire and on diagnostic polysomnography tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A number of 59 children participated in this study with mean age of 6.7 ± 2.26 years. The mean score of the OSA-18 was 77.9 ± 13.22 and the area most affected were "caregiver concerns" (21.8 ± 4.25), "sleep disturbance" (18.8 ± 5.19), "physical suffering" (17.3 ± 5.0). The impact was low in 6 children (10.2%), moderate in 33 (55.9%) and high in 20 (33.9%). PS was found in 44 children (74.6%), OSAS in 15 (25.6%). OSAS had higher score on "physical suffering" area than PS (p = 0.04). The AI (r = 0.22; p = 0.08) and AHI (r = 0.14; p = 0.26) were not correlated with OSA-18.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sleep disordered breathing in childhood cause impairment in quality of life and areas most affected the OSA-18 were: "caregiver concerns", "sleep disturbance" and "physical suffering". OSAS has the domain "physical suffering" more affected than primary snorers.
authors.affiliation: Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública, Salvador, BA. 　amauryorl@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amaury de Machado
authors.initials: Ade M
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Otávio Marambaia dos
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Kleber
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Pablo Pinillos
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Marambaia
authors.forename: Leonardo Marques
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pradella-Hallinan
authors.forename: Manuela Garcia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires