STUDY ON SOME ANTHROPOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE SECOND YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA RISK AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY

Abstract

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, which is frequently accompanied by snoring, daytime sleepiness, and decreased concentration. Several scales, including the STOP-BANG and EPWORTH scores, have been developed to screen people at high risk for OSA. There have been few studies on both OSA risk and anthropometric characteristics, academic performance in student populations, particularly medical students. Objectives: (1) Determine the proportion of medical students at risk of OSA based on STOP-BANG score, EPWORTH score, and their academic performance; and (2) Survey the association between some anthropometric characteristics, STOP-BANG score, daytime sleepiness, and poor academic performance of second-year medical students. Materials and method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 565 second-year medical students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Results: Our study included 565 students, 44.4% of whom were male. The average BMI was 21.0 kg/m2, the mean neck circumference was 32.9 cm, the mean waist circumference was 73.2 cm, the mean waist/hip ratio was 0.80, the mean systolic blood pressure was 116.2 mmHg, the mean diastolic blood pressure was 67.8 mmHg. The percentage of students at risk of OSA based on STOP-BANG scores was 13.5%, and 58.4% based on EPWORTH scores. Smoking affects 0.9% of students, hypertension affects 2.7%, snoring affects 16.6%, average sleep time is 6.59 hours, and poor academic performance affects 4.4%. According to the STOP-BANG transcript, the percentage of students with poor academic performance (<2.5) in the group at risk of OSA was higher than in the group without the risk of OSA (10.5% versus 3.5%, χ2=7.730, p=0.012). According to the EPWORTH score, the proportion of students with poor academic performance (<2.5) in the group at risk of OSA was lower than in the group without the risk of OSA (χ2=5.406, p=0.02). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, BMI ≥ 23kg/m2 was a risk factor for poor academic results (OR=2.5, p=0.043), while daytime sleepiness was a protective factor for poor academic results (OR = 0.384, p = 0.024). Conclusions: The percentage of students at risk of OSA based on STOP-BANG scores was 13.5%, and 58.4% based on EPWORTH scores. Second-year medical students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy who are at risk of OSA according to STOP-BANG score have lower academic performance. Poor academic results were associated with BMI ≥ 23kg/m2.