Health Disparities in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Project

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder which involves common episodes of decreased airflow caused by throat muscles relaxing blocking oxygen exchange. This regular occurrence can harm the growth and general functioning of adolescents. With that, it is vital that an adolescent is getting treatment and this disease is caught earlier rather than later. However, it is know that among those with fewer economic resources there is a longer time to diagnosis and a lower likelihood of evidenced-based treatment of OSA. This study aims to replicate said findings and evaluate the role of disparities in Socioeconomic status in the diagnosis and treatment of OSA detection through sleep studies. By looking at a sample of 500 children (1 year – 18 years) and examining factors such as: date of referral from a primary physician, date of sleep study and or if a sleep study were actually conducted, and socioeconomic factors - income, parental education, etc. – we can gain insight into how children could experience delays in diagnosis and treatment of Obstructive sleep apnea.

Supervisor: Sarah Honaker
Department: Pediatrics