ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This purpose of this research is to study the prevalence of habitual snoring and the association between snoring and cephalo-anthropometric analysis in Korean population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Four thousand and two hundred twenty four subjects (male: 2277, female: 1947), aged between 18~85 (mean age male: 45.3, female: 44.0), were recruited through home visits and interviewed by well-trained investigators. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty two male subjects (15.5%) and one hundred sixty two female subjects (8.32%) exhibited habitual snoring. Age, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher in the snoring group compared to those who dont snore habitually. Using a stepwise variable selection method of multiple logistic regression analysis, we found independent factors as being significant for males and females of the snoring groups. For males, the factors were BMI (p<0.001, OR=1.18 CI: 1.12~1.25), mandibular angle (p<0.001, OR=0.97 CI: 0.96~0.98), and abdominal girth (p<0.001, OR=1.04, CI: 1.02~1.06. For females, they were abdominal girth (p=0.031, OR=1.03, CI: 1.00~1.05), neck girth (p=0.003, OR=1.12, CI: 1.04~1.21), age (p=0.0002, OR=1.02 CI: 1.01~10.3), and BMI (p=0.0007, OR=1.11 CI: 1.05~1.18). CONCLUSION: We found that BMI, gonion angle and abdomen girth in male and abdominal girth, neck girth, age, BMI in female were the significant factors affecting the severity of snoring in Korean population.