Adiposity indicators as a screening method for polysomnography in shift workers

Abstract Objective: to verify the discriminatory power of adiposity indicators in the prediction of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in shift workers. Methods: a cross-sectional study carried out in an iron ore extraction company, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Anthropometric data were collected and polysomnography (PSG) was performed in 118 male shift workers who owned at least one overall risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Results: the OSA prevalence in the sample was 84.7%. Among the adiposity indicators used to predict OSA (≥ 5 events/hour), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and total body fat (TBF) showed sensitivity values higher than 70%. Visceral fat (VF), neck circumference (NC), and neck-to-height ratio (NHtR) were the most effective in correctly identifying workers without OSA (specificity values higher than 70%). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for WC and NHtR were greater than 0.7, which indicated the test was effective in discriminating individuals with OSA. Conclusions: alterations in abdomen and neck adiposity indicators have a significant relationship with the presence of OSA and showed effectiveness as a screening method for PSG. WC and NHtR are considered good indicators for OSA prediction.