Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39894885›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association2025

Prevalence of symptoms suggestive of sleep apnea among children and its impact on academic performance.

Silvia D Boyajian, Muna A Salameh, Kholoud Alzyoud, Enas A Amaireh, Lujayn Badah, Malek Al Qutami, Mira Alsharayri, Osama Abubaker, Rzan Shwashreh

Abstract read
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Article in The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Silvia D BoyajianDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan. silvia.boyajian@bau.edu.jo.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-5209-2146
Muna A SalamehDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Kholoud AlzyoudDepartment of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, 13133, Jordan.
Enas A AmairehDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Lujayn BadahDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Malek Al QutamiDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Mira AlsharayriDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Osama AbubakerDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.
Rzan ShwashrehDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, 19117, Jordan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition in pediatrics that requires prompt recognition and management to minimize its negative impact on their health and development. Data on the prevalence of OSA among school-age minors in Jordan is scarce. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of OSA in children and adolescents and identify factors that make them more likely to have OSA and its impact on academic achievement.

methodsThis school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023. A questionnaire including information on demographic variables, school performance, and a validated sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) scale for pediatrics was distributed to 1798 students in schools all over Amman. The prevalence of OSA (defined as SRBD score > 33%) was reported as a proportion along with its 95% confidence interval.

resultsOut of the 2000 questionnaires distributed, 1798 were analyzed. Among these, 1079 (60%) were from children aged 5 to 10 years, and 719 (40%) were from adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. The prevalence of high risk for OSA (HR-OSA) was higher among adolescents than in children (25.6% vs. 20.8%). Adolescents with unemployed fathers were more likely to be HR-OSA (33.70 vs 17.57%, p < 0.001). In contrast, paternal employment did not affect the prevalence of HR-OSA in children. Sleep talking, bruxism, and sweating during sleep were more common among children with positive SRBD. Nocturnal enuresis (NE) was associated with positive SRBD in children and adolescents. HR-OSA was associated with poor academic performance in both study groups.

conclusionHR-OSA is highly prevalent in Jordanian children and adolescents. HR-OSA can occur alongside other sleep disorders, and it significantly impairs the academic performance of affected individuals. This study found an association between high risk for OSA and other sleeping disorders (sleep talking, sleep bruxism, and sweat during sleeping) and nocturnal enuresis which needs to be confirmed in larger studies.

Indexed as

Nocturnal enuresisPediatric obstructive sleep apneaSchool performanceSleep-related breathing disorder

Identifiers

PMID39894885
PMCPMC11788269

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.