Prevalence of sleep symptoms and risk of obstructive sleep apnea in Mexico

Abstract

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of sleep related symptoms (SRS) in Mexico, and their distribution by region, urbanization and gender. Materials and methods. Crosssectional study using a national probabilistic sample among adults over 20 years old. We applied the Berlin questionnaire for sleep apnea risk (OSA) and questions on sleep duration, insomnia and sedative use. Results. The most frequent SRS were snoring 48.5% and difficulty falling asleep 36.9%. High risk for OSA was found in 27.3% of adults, increases with BMI (OR=1.1), age (OR=1.03) and urban residence (OR=1.37). Insomnia was in 18.8% with female predominance (OR=1.91). Average sleep time was 7.6 ±3 hours; 28.4% of adults sleep < 7 h/night. Conclusions. SRS are highly prevalent. One in four Mexican adults have an elevated risk for OSA. Their detection and treatment could minimize detrimental health outcomes for them.