0575 Impact of Illness Perception with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common chronic disease and highly prevalent. Better insight into illness perceptions can help us understand how patients cope with chronic conditions like OSA and may help improve treatment engagement. Methods: Data from two OSA clinical trials was examined. Baseline Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) was obtained from diagnostic sleep testing. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) is designed to assess the cognitive and emotional representation of illness. It is an 8-item measure, with each item measuring one dimension of illness perception. High scores (sum of items) indicates a more threatening perception of illness. Results: 523 patients diagnosed with OSA were studied. The sample had a mean age of 51.1 ± 16.6, mean AHI of 28.6 ± 17.9 and mean BMI of 32.8 ± 15.5. The mean BIPQ total score at baseline was 43.29 ± 11.3. At baseline, each dimension had a mean of: consequence (6.6 ± 2.7), timeline (7.2 ± 2.9), personal control (5.4 ± 3.1), treatment control (8.2 ± 1.9), identity (7.1 ± 2.6), illness concern (8.4 ± 2.2), coherence (8.0 ± 2.0), and emotional representation (5.9 ± 3.2). Baseline AHI was correlated with treatment control and illness concern (r=0.14 and r=0.15, respectively; p<0.01). BIPQ scores for OSA patients were higher on consequences (how much does OSA affect your life), identity (how much do you experience symptoms from your OSA), concern (how concerned are you about OSA) and emotional response (how much does OSA affect you emotionally) than for other common chronic conditions with significant comorbidities, including asthma, diabetes, and myocardial infarction. Conclusion: The study shows that patients with OSA report have elevated illness perceptions across a number of dimensions, and at levels that are as high or higher than other common chronic conditions, including asthma and diabetes. Areas of consequence, identity, concern and emotional response would benefit from additional education and support and could form the basis for an interventional program.