Parent-Reported Habitual Snoring and Depressive Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents Who Are Obese

Abstract

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with medical and psychological problems, including obesity and depression. Snoring is the most common complaint for SDB. We hypothesized that children and adolescents who are obese and snore would have more depressive symptoms than those who do not snore. Participants (ages 6–17) evaluated for a weight management program (n = 247) were divided into parent-reported habitual snorers (34%) and non-snorers (65%). Habitual snorers had significantly more self-reported symptoms of depression than did non-snorers (0.041); a trend remained after controlling for BMI z-scores (0.053). Clinicians should be aware of depressive symptoms in this high-risk population.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by training grant T77MC00004 from HRSA/Maternal and Child Health Bureau. I would also like to thank Nancy Roizen, M.D., Denny Drotar, Ph.D., Leslie Heinberg, Ph.D., Amy Storfer-Isser, M.S., M.A., and Eve Kutchman, M.Ed., for their assistance with this project.