Table 2.
Characteristics of the study sample at baseline (T0) stratified by AHI severity tertiles.
| Characteristics | First Tertile AHI (10–13 events/h) | Second Tertile AHI (13–20 events/h) | Third Tertile AHI (> 20 events/h) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | 35 | 31 | 34 | |
| Sex, male, n (%) | 15 (42.86) | 15 (48.39) | 21 (61.76) | .274 |
| Age, y, mean (SD) | 4.60 (2.45) | 4.87 (2.68) | 5.15 (3.19) | .773 |
| Height, cm, mean (SD) | 105.46 (16.30) | 105.61 (13.79) | 106.76 (19.73) | .946 |
| Weight, kg, mean (SD) | 18.50 (10.16) | 19.08 (10.66) | 23.21 (20.59) | .771 |
| BMI z score | –0.16 (1.40) | –0.13 (1.77) | 0.66 (2.02) | .248 |
| Obesity, n (%) | 2 (5.71) | 4 (12.90) | 10 (29.41) | .023 |
| Polysomnography | ||||
| Average SpO2, mean (SD) | 96.38 (1.50) | 95.75 (1.76) | 95.20 (2.41) | .016 |
| Minimum SpO2, mean (SD) | 76.60 (7.77) | 75.74 (7.24) | 66.65 (10.74) | < .001 |
| ODI, events/h, mean (SD) | 105.63 (42.41) | 127.77 (40.24) | 222.85 (93.96) | < .001 |
| AHI, events/h, mean (SD) | 11.49 (1.13) | 16.27 (1.88) | 31.91 (12.14) | < .001 |
| Parent/caregiver risk | ||||
| Parental OSA history, n (%) | 11 (31.43) | 10 (32.26) | 5 (14.71) | .181 |
| Parental smoking, n (%) | 10 (28.57) | 12 (38.71) | 10 (29.41) | .627 |
| Children’s symptoms | ||||
| Oral/mixed breathing, n (%) | 32 (91.43) | 27 (87.10) | 34 (100.00) | .114 |
| Nocturnal snoring, n (%) | 34 (97.14) | 28 (90.32) | 34 (100.00) | .126 |
| Obstructive apneas, n (%) | 34 (97.14) | 27 (87.10) | 29 (85.29) | .211 |
| Nasal voice, n (%) | 27 (77.14) | 24 (77.42) | 25 (73.53) | .917 |
| Nocturnal movements, n (%) | 22 (62.86) | 19 (61.29) | 26 (76.47) | .349 |
| Rhinitis, n (%) | 26 (74.29) | 18 (58.06) | 24 (70.59) | .342 |
| URI, n (%) | 24 (68.57) | 19 (61.29) | 21 (61.76) | .783 |
| Nocturnal anxiety, n (%) | 17 (48.57) | 8 (25.81) | 18 (52.94) | .062 |
| Irritability, n (%) | 11 (31.43) | 14 (45.16) | 16 (47.06) | .356 |
| Wheezing, n (%) | 13 (37.14) | 8 (25.81) | 13 (39.39) | .473 |
| Drowsiness, n (%) | 8 (22.86) | 4 (12.90) | 13 (38.24) | .058 |
| Feeling of suffocation, n (%) | 13 (37.14) | 14 (45.16) | 12 (35.29) | .690 |
| Diurnal headache, n (%) | 7 (20.00) | 5 (16.13) | 10 (29.41) | .408 |
| Enuresis, n (%) | 9 (25.71) | 11 (35.48) | 10 (29.41) | .685 |
| Insomnia, n (%) | 12 (34.29) | 5 (16.13) | 7 (20.59) | .192 |
| Height ≤ fifth percentile, n (%) | 5 (14.29) | 5 (16.13) | 6 (17.65) | .930 |
| School problems, n (%) | 1 (2.86) | 2 (6.45) | 4 (11.76) | .346 |
| Cyanosis, n (%) | 3 (8.57) | 1 (3.23) | 1 (2.94) | .485 |
AHI = apnea-hypopnea index, BMI = body mass index, ODI = oxygen desaturation index, OSA = obstructive sleep apnea, SD = standard deviation, SpO2 = oxygen saturation, T0 = baseline (time zero), URI = upper respiratory infection.