Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Department of Orthodontics, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Sleep Breath. 2023 Dec;27(6):2361-2369. doi: 10.1007/s11325-023-02852-x. Epub 2023 May 24.
To assess obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-related experience, knowledge, attitude, and behaviors among orthodontic professionals in China and identify factors associated with their knowledge levels, attitude toward referring, and self-confidence in the management of patients with OSA.
An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a 31-item questionnaire developed with a professional online survey tool ( www.wjx.cn ) and distributed via WeChat (Tencent, Shenzhen, China). Data were collected between January 16 and 23, 2022 and analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and multivariate generalized estimation equations.
A total of 1760 professionals responded to the survey, and responses to 1611 questionnaires were valid. The average score of correct answers to the 15 OSA knowledge questions was 12.1 ± 2.0. Most of the professionals agreed that it was necessary to identify patients who might have OSA in practice. The top three sources for gaining knowledge of OSA according to the survey were classrooms and textbooks (76.3%), medical lectures (75.7%), and academic conferences (73.2%). The level of knowledge was significantly correlated with self-confidence in treatment (P < 0.001) and willingness to refer patients to otolaryngologists or clinicians of related disciplines (P < 0.001).
Most orthodontic professionals agreed that there was a need to identify patients with OSA and learn further about related problems. Treatment confidence and willingness of professionals to refer patients were related to the level of OSA knowledge. These findings suggest that promotion of OSA-related education may help improve the care of patients with OSA.
评估中国正畸专业人员对阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（OSA）相关经历、知识、态度和行为的认知，并确定与其知识水平、转诊态度和管理 OSA 患者的自信心相关的因素。
使用专业在线调查工具（www.wjx.cn）开发的包含 31 个项目的在线横断面调查，并通过微信（腾讯，深圳，中国）进行分发。数据收集时间为 2022 年 1 月 16 日至 23 日，并采用卡方检验、Fisher 确切检验和多变量广义估计方程进行分析。
共有 1760 名专业人员对该调查做出了回应，其中 1611 份问卷的回复是有效的。15 个 OSA 知识问题中正确答案的平均得分为 12.1±2.0。大多数专业人员认为在实践中识别可能患有 OSA 的患者是必要的。根据调查，获得 OSA 知识的三个主要来源是课堂和教科书（76.3%）、医学讲座（75.7%）和学术会议（73.2%）。知识水平与治疗自信心（P<0.001）和愿意将患者转介给耳鼻喉科医生或相关专业临床医生（P<0.001）显著相关。
大多数正畸专业人员认为有必要识别 OSA 患者，并进一步了解相关问题。专业人员的治疗信心和转介患者的意愿与 OSA 知识水平相关。这些发现表明，推广 OSA 相关教育可能有助于改善 OSA 患者的护理。
