Ethnic/racial and sex disparities in obstructive sleep apnea among adolescents in southern California

Study objectives: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common; however, inclusion of adolescents and especially those of ethnic/racial minorities in research is scarce. We hypothesized that ethnic/racial minority adolescents undergoing polysomnography have higher prevalence and more severe OSA compared to those who are non-Hispanic (NH) White.

Methods: Retrospective review of 1,745 adolescents undergoing diagnostic polysomnography. Demographic characteristics, age, body mass index percentile, and polysomnography parameters were obtained. Descriptive statistics comparing race/ethnicity were analyzed. Linear regression of log-transformed obstructive apnea-hypopnea index, and logistic regression of moderate-severe OSA (obstructive apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5 events/h) adjusting for covariates were analyzed.

Results: A total of 58.2% adolescents were Hispanic, 24.1% NH-White, 4.3% NH-Asian/Pacific Islander, 4.2% NH-Black/African American, and 6.6% NH-other. Compared to the NH-White group, the Hispanic group had higher obstructive apnea-hypopnea index and any level of OSA severity, the Black/African American group had higher any level of OSA, and the NH-Asian group had higher moderate-severe OSA. Multiple linear regression of log-obstructive apnea-hypopnea index identified a positive association with Hispanic ethnicity (β: 0.25, P value < .05). Compared to the NH-White group, the Hispanic and the Asian/Pacific Islander groups were 1.45 (95% confidence interval: 1.10, 1.93) and 1.81 (95% confidence interval: 1.05, 3.10) times more likely to have moderate-severe OSA, respectively, after adjusting for relevant covariates. Stratified analysis by sex identified an association only among males between Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio: 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.27, 2.70) and Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity (odds ratio: 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.35, 5.11) and moderate-severe OSA, compared to the NH-White group.

Conclusions: Among adolescents undergoing polysomnography evaluation, we identified OSA racial/ethnic and sex disparities in Hispanic and NH-Asian adolescents. Community level studies with adequate representation of these minority groups are needed to identify factors associated with the reported increased susceptibility.

Citation: Landeo-Gutierrez J, Ryu J, Tantisira K, Bhattacharjee R. Ethnic/racial and sex disparities in obstructive sleep apnea among adolescents in southern California. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(10):1637-1645.