Association between knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and dental specialty

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective To associate the knowledge and attitudes about Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (POSA) with the specialty of dentists in Metropolitan Lima, Peru. Methods A cross-sectional, analytical observational study was carried out during 2021–2022. Two hundred and ten orthodontists and pediatric dentists were surveyed using the adapted and validated Spanish translation of the OSAKA-KIDS questionnaire and additional sociodemographic questions. Results The data indicated an association between dental specialty and the professional’s knowledge about POSA. Orthodontists were 59% less likely to have acceptable knowledge, compared to pediatric dentists (p = .013, IC 95% 0.21–0.83). The study revealed an association between the professional’s attitudes and three intervening variables: age (p = .025), clinical experience (p = .049) and sector of practice (p = .020). Conclusion Knowledge was associated with the dental specialty of professionals in the sample included, whilst attitudes were not.