Factors Associated with Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Among Pregnant Women in Burkina Faso

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome during pregnancy can lead to several maternal–fetal complications. What factors may be associated with OSA in pregnant women? This was a cross-sectional study from July 1, 2020, to October 4, 2021, involving pregnant women attending prenatal consultations in selected health facilities in Ouagadougou. OSA probability was assessed with the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), and patients were classified as having a low or high risk of OSA. A binary logistic regression assessed the association between the probability of OSA and sociodemographic and clinical factors. Associations between variables were considered statistically significant at the 0.05 probability level. Eight hundred and nine (809) patients were surveyed. The mean age was 29.06 ± 5.47 years. Medical history included hypertension (35/809, 4.32%), asthma (24/809, 2.96%), and diabetes (4/809, 0.49%). Obese and/or overweight women accounted for 57.85%. Based on the BQ stratification for the risk of OSA, 11.74% of pregnant women were at high risk for OSA. The prevalence of a high risk of OSA was slightly higher in the third trimester compared with the first and second trimesters, 13.37% versus 11.63% and 9.88%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression revealed that only BMI (odds ratio [OR] 1.17 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11–1.23], p < 0.001) was associated with the high risk of OSA. Based on the BQ, OSA was relatively high among pregnant women. The test of either respiratory polygraphy or polysomnography should be offered to the presumptive cases for early diagnosis and treatment.