Abstract
BackgroundIt is crucial for the army to know the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome in active-duty army personnel. Little information has been reported on the prevalence of OSA and clinical features in active-duty army personnel. This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of snoring and risk of developing OSA in active-duty army personnel in Thailand and to identify the co-morbidities of OSA. In total, 1107 participants who were aged 20–60 years and were deployed to the three southernmost provinces of Thailand were enrolled. All the participants completed the Phramongkutklao (PMK) Hospital OSA Questionnaire that was modified and validated from the Berlin Questionnaire and underwent physical examination. The participants were 1107 active-duty army personnel in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, both males and females, aged 20–60 years.MethodsThe PMK OSA Questionnaire was used to assess the risk of OSA together with interviewing for snoring, fatigue, falling asleep and day-time sleepiness. Physical examination of the neck, chest and hip circumference, and height was performed. Information concerning physical training, co-morbid diseases, smoking and alcoholic consumption was collected.ResultsThe prevalence of snoring was 58.5, and 4.8% met the PMK OSA Questionnaire criteria, thus indicating a high risk of OSA. The information obtained indicated that laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), current smoking and alcoholic consumption were significantly higher in the high-risk OSA group.ConclusionEarly detection and treatment of OSA in active-duty army personnel are imperative. Physical examination and polysomnography can be used to reveal the high-risk group. High body mess index (BMI), laryngopharyngeal reflux, current smoking and alcoholic consumption are modifiable factors for OSA and are avoidable. A policy to decrease the BMI and risk of LPR, as well as to stop smoking and alcoholic consumption, should be applied.
Highlights
It is crucial for the army to know the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome in active-duty army personnel
Snoring together with sleep apnea may lead to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome
The present study intends to investigate these aspects in the target group of the Royal Thai Army personnel. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study using the questionnaire created by the Health and Sleep Questionnaires of the Sleep Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Royal Thai Army Medical Department, Thailand. This questionnaire was modified and translated from the Berlin Questionnaire and was called the PMK OSA Questionnaire, which was validated for accuracy [20,21,22,23,24,25,26]
Summary
It is crucial for the army to know the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome in active-duty army personnel. This study was aimed to estimate the prevalence of snoring and risk of developing OSA in active-duty army personnel in Thailand and to identify the co-morbidities of OSA. The participants were 1107 active-duty army personnel in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, both males and females, aged 20–60 years. One of the most common sleep disorders, may affect daily activities, including personality, social and possibly marital life. It may affect roommates and the mission because snoring can be heard by enemies. Long-term effects include hypertension, cardiomegaly, especially on the right side of the heart from pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia from the lack of oxygen, polycythemia and ischemic heart disease [11, 12]
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