Linguistic adaptation and validation of the Turkish version of the OSA-18 questionnaire in children with sleep-disordered breathing

Objectives: This study aimed to adapt the Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 (OSA-18) questionnaire into Turkish and evaluate its reliability and validity. Patients and Methods: A total of 186 children (103 males, 83 females; mean age: 5±2.1 years; range, 2 to 14 years) with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) who were treated in the ear, nose, and throat clinic between January 2022 and December 2022 were prospectively studied to validate the OSA-18 questionnaire. Children with SDB who were scheduled for adenotonsillectomy were included in the study. Results: In adapting the Turkish version of the OSA-18 questionnaire, it was determined that the 18 statements were grouped under five subheadings, similar to the original study. Based on the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, the OSA-18 was 68.6% sensitive and 76.4% specific for detecting SDB. Conclusion: The study results revealed that the Turkish OSA-18 questionnaire is a valuable tool for assessing children with SDB and satisfactory in terms of responsiveness, reliability, and internal consistency.