title: The use of an online Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess excessive daytime sleepiness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most common complaint reported in sleep clinics. We hypothesised that utilising modern media to deliver an online Epworth Sleepiness Scale, age- and gender-related differences in subjective daytime sleepiness could be assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, gender and online Epworth Sleepiness Scale (range 0-24 points) of 39,448 subjects were recorded between January 2013 and November 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant trend, for males but not females, was found between age and Epworth score (p < 0.001). Average scores were higher for female subjects in their 1st and 2nd (p = 0.014), 3rd (p < 0.011) and 4th lifetime decade (p = 0.011), whereas male subjects conveyed significantly higher levels of sleepiness in their 7th lifetime decade (p < 0.001). Individual item analysis found differences between gender; females scored significantly higher than males in items 1, 4 and 5, while male subjects had higher scores for items 3, 6, 7 and 8. Lowest levels of sleepiness were reported for item 8 and highest scores for item 5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of an online Epworth Sleepiness Scale identifies gender- and age-specific differences and facilitates new pathways in the delivery of chronic care.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyes
authors.affiliation: Lane Fox Respiratory Unit/Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Ground Floor, South Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Panagis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drakatos
authors.affiliation: British Lung Foundation, London,, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jarrold
authors.affiliation: British Lung Foundation, London,, UK.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK. joerg.steier@gstt.nhs.uk.|Lane Fox Respiratory Unit/Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Ground Floor, South Wing, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK. joerg.steier@gstt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Questionnaire; Sleep apnea; Sleep disorder; Upper airway