Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and assessment of related knowledge in an adult population from the region of Attica, Greece: a cross-sectional study

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a highly underdiagnosed condition associated with serious comorbidities and high mortality. Data regarding the community risk of OSAS in the region of Attica are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the proportion of adults at high risk for OSAS and the level of awareness regarding the disease and its diagnosis in an adult population in the region of Attica, Greece. The telephone-randomized survey included remote telephone interviews, and a total of 522 people were involved (145 men and 377 women). The telephone survey included the Berlin questionnaire (BQ) regarding the risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) concerning daytime sleepiness, and a third questionnaire concerning the knowledge about OSAS and its diagnosis, as well as the demographic data of the participants. 20.50% of participants were found to be at high risk in the BQ, 7.9% were at high risk in the ESS and 3.1% were found to be at high risk for OSAS (high risk both in BQ and ESS). Furthermore, 73.40% of participants were aware of the syndrome as an entity, while only 27.60% and 22.40% were familiar with its diagnostic procedure and the definition of polysomnography, respectively. The estimated community risk of OSAS in Attica, together with the low levels of awareness regarding its diagnostic process, underscore the need for the development of public health programs aimed at raising community awareness, thereby reducing OSAS underdiagnosis and its associated morbidity.