TY - JOUR T1 - Sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) symptoms and their relation to problem behaviours in South Indian children JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P4013 AU - Biju Thomas AU - Arun Pugalenthi AU - S.S. Krishnamoorthy AU - D. James AU - John C. Allen, Jr. AU - T.U. Sukumaran Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P4013.abstract N2 - BackgroundSleep-Related Breathing Disorder (SRBD) in children is a grossly under recognised problem in India.Aim: To study the prevalence of symptoms of SRBDs and their relation to problem behaviours in South Indian children.Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional survey of school children in the Kerala state of South India was conducted. The parent completed questionnaire in Malayalam language contained the 22 symptom items of the SRBD scale of the original Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (Chervin RD et al. Sleep Med. 2000; 1[1]:21-32). Children with severe learning difficulties, known syndromes or craniofacial/neuromuscular abnormalities were excluded from the study.Results4135 subjects (47.2% males) took part in this study. The mean (SD) age was 10.2 (3.1) years. Snoring was more common in males (12.2% vs 9.8%, p<0.05). SRBD scale cut-off value was >0.33 in 9.97% children, with a male predominance (p<0.05). Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) was reported in 19.3%. Parent reported problem behaviours were common (hyperactivity in 29.8% and attention deficit in 27.3%) and were significantly higher in boys (p<0.01). Children with SRBD scale cut-off value >0.33 were significantly more likely to have parent reported EDS (odds ratio [OR]: 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7-5.6, p<0.01), hyperactivity (OR: 12.6, CI: 9.8-16.3, p<0.01) and attention deficit (OR: 14.0, CI= 10.9-18.0, p<0.01).ConclusionsSymptoms of SRBDs are common in South Indian school children. These symptoms are associated with EDS, hyperactivity and attention deficit. Our findings emphasise the need for heightened awareness of SRBD in children among both parents and health care professionals. ER -