ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025
Social and environmental determinants of disease uncertainty in obstructive sleep apnea: a dyadic qualitative study on patients and co-residents.
Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to significant health issues and reduced quality of life. Despite its increasing prevalence, particularly among middle-aged and older adults, low awareness and treatment rates contribute to a substantial burden of disease uncertainty for both patients and their co-residents. This study aims to investigate the social and environmental determinants of disease uncertainty experienced by OSA patients and their co-residents, focusing on the impact of these factors on health behaviors and access to care. Methods: The study employed the theoretical model of disease uncertainty as a guiding framework and utilized the KJ method for data analysis. Using purposive sampling, 13 OSA patients and their 13 co-residents were selected to form dyads. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants prior to the study. Results: The analysis of the interview data yielded seven major themes and 19 sub-themes. (1) "The Shadow of Knowing Little"; (2) "The Fog of Night and Day"; (3) "Symbiotic Suffering"; (4) "The Hidden Costs"; (5) "Delay in Seeking Medical Care"; (6) "Complex Choices"; (7) "Vacancies Calling for Attention." Conclusion: The findings underscore that OSA patients and their co-residents face considerable uncertainty related to disease awareness, symptom experiences, medical decision-making, treatment plans, and social support. This uncertainty leads to delays in seeking care and poor treatment adherence. To mitigate these issues, it is recommended to enhance public health education on OSA, improve disease awareness and self-management skills among patients and their families, and better integrate medical resources and social support networks. These interventions should address the social and environmental determinants of health to reduce the burden of disease uncertainty and improve overall health outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.