Influence of caregivers' literacy and socioeconomic status on the application of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire in patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusion

• Grant number: 24/22397-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Orthodontics
• Principal Investigator: Ana Cláudia de Castro Ferreira Conti
• Grantee: João Augusto Magalhães Neto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) is a valuable first step tool in screening patients with risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Although it has been validated for Brazilian Portuguese, studies suggest that its sensitivity and specificity may be affected by the caregivers' level of education and comprehension, especially in socially vulnerable contexts. These factors may influence the subjective interpretation of symptoms and lead to discrepancies when compared to physiological monitoring methods, such as type IV respiratory polygraphy - a portable test that records only respiratory events, without monitoring sleep stages. Objectives: To explore the presence of discrepancies between PSQ scores and the findings of type IV respiratory polygraphy, investigating whether factors such as oral health literacy and the socioeconomic condition of caregivers are associated with these perceptual differences. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study with secondary data analysis from the screening phase of an ongoing clinical trial at the Orthodontics Clinic of FOB-USP. Children aged 9 to 14 years with Class II, division 1 malocclusion will be included. Caregivers will complete the PSQ, the HeLD-14 oral health literacy scale, and the "Critério Brasil," a validated socioeconomic questionnaire developed by the Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa (ABEP). All patients will then undergo type IV respiratory polygraphy using the Biologix portable device. Possible discrepancies between questionnaire scores and physiological data will be analyzed based on the applied instruments. Data will be processed using the Jamovi software. Normality will be assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and associations will be examined through Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression. (AU)