title: Snoring but not BMI influences aggressive behavior and concentration problems in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep-disordered breathing is an important risk factor for neurobehavioral impairment in children. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in a population of first graders and to determine the association between behavior problems, body mass index (BMI) and snoring.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using a parent-reported questionnaire. The study evaluated 2,474 first-graders. Data including age, weight, height, BMI, snoring intensity, and problems with child behavior were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 3,480 eligible children, 2,474 (71.1%) returned completed questionnaires. Of these, 72% were reported to be non-snorers, 28% snorers, and 6.4% habitual snorers. There was a positive linear association between behavior impairment and snoring severity measured on a 5-point scale, with highly significant differences between each of five snoring intensity groups (p<0.00001). Compared to non-snorers, snorers in the normal-weight and overweight subgroups had significantly more aggressive behavior (p<0.0001; p=0.002, respectively) and more concentration problems (p<0.0001; p=0.03, respectively). There was no significant difference in aggressive behavior and concentration problems intensity in the screened groups of obese and normal subjects (p=0.70; p=0.79, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Behavior problems were positively associated with increasing snoring frequency. However, there were no differences in the prevalence of behavioral or concentration problems between obese and non-obese first-graders studied.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 19/25 Stepinska Street, 00-739 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Wojciech
authors: W
authors: Kukwa
authors: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Disease, University of Varmia and Mazuria School of Medicine, 30 Warszawska Street, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Kukwa
authors: The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, 5 Roentgen Street, 02-781 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Gałązka
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 19/25 Stepinska Street, 00-739 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Grochowski
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 19/25 Stepinska Street, 00-739 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Antoni
authors: A
authors: Krzeski
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 19/25 Stepinska Street, 00-739 Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Zuzanna
authors: Z
authors: Gronkiewicz
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, Military Institute of Medicine, 128 Szaserow Street, 04-141 Warsaw 44, Poland.
authors: Anna M
authors: AM
authors: Czarnecka
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D001288:Attention; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires