Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the general awareness of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed via social media to collect responses from participants. The target population was at least 340 UQU students aged 18-30 years. The data was collected to evaluate the relationships between awareness and demographic factors.
Results: Out of a total of 584 participants, 78.1% males, 73.8% aged 15-25 years, and 65.9% healthcare-affiliated, revealing a critical knowledge paradox. Physicians (67.6%) were most frequently cited as the primary source of information, and 55.0% of participants reported having no chronic medical conditions. Most participants (79.5%) reported sleeping 7 to 9 hours per day, and 82.2% perceived this duration as sufficient. Nevertheless, daytime sleepiness was experienced by 56.0% of participants, and 62.8% indicated that daytime naps adversely affected their nighttime sleep. While awareness of OSA was high (93.8%), foundational sleep knowledge was deficient, with only 18.5% correctly identifying sleep’s primary benefit. Knowledge was often superficial; 75.9% identified loud snoring as an OSA symptom, yet 37.3% incorrectly believed a physical exam could diagnose OSA. Exercise was acknowledged as beneficial for sleep (79.8%), whereas watching television (7.7%) was erroneously selected as sleep-promoting behavior.
Conclusion: The participants demonstrated high general awareness of OSA yet exhibited a profound gap in foundational sleep physiology. Furthermore, a significant discrepancy was observed between obtaining sufficient sleep and the high self-reported prevalence of daytime sleepiness.

Key words: Awareness, obstructive sleep apnea, university students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia