Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Pediatric Dentists Toward Obstructive Sleep Apnea Among Children

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Knowledge, Attitude, practice, Pediatric Dentist, Obstructive sleep apnea

The main objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Egyptian pediatric dentists toward obstructive sleep apnea among children.

Data will be collected using a self-administrated questionnaire developed based on a previous study. The questionnaire was delivered to pediatric dentists, including both dental faculty and practitioners specializing in pediatric dentistry through E-mail and administered in the English language using the Google Forms platform. The questionnaire began with an invitation message, followed by a consent agreement for participation. It was divided into four sections: demographic information, knowledge about obstructive sleep apnea, attitude toward obstructive sleep apnea, and practice related to obstructive sleep apnea. The demographic section collected information on respondents' age, gender, practice sector (primary health center or private clinic), and years of experience. The knowledge section comprised questions based on the definition of obstructive sleep apnea, followed by 17 knowledge statements to assess the extent of dentists' knowledge about obstructive sleep apnea. These statements covered topics such as prevalence, percentage of affected individuals, symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, treatment, and the role of dentists in managing obstructive sleep apnea. Response options included true, false, and do not know. Correct answers were awarded 1 point, whereas incorrect answers received no points. The inclusion of the do not know option aimed to minimize guessing and was scored as an incorrect response. The attitude section consisted of seven questions focusing on the role of pediatric dentists in diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep apnea in children, screening for obstructive sleep apnea based on snoring history, considering obstructive sleep apnea screening as a mandatory part of clinical examination, and the need to include obstructive sleep apnea information in the undergraduate curriculum. The response scale for the attitude section included yes (1 point awarded, indicating a positive attitude) or no or do not know (no points awarded, indicating a negative attitude). The practice section encompassed five questions, exploring whether pediatric dentists had fabricated oral appliances for managing obstructive sleep apnea, their approach to history taking including questions to rule out the presence of obstructive sleep apnea, and their participation in continuing education courses related to the topic.