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Original Article
Online Published: 22 Jan 2026
 


Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Abduljalil Adnan Alsafi, Hamza Abdullah Turkistani, Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed, Mutasim Abdulrahman Bukhari, Abdullatif Abdulrashid Mulawi, Majed Wasel Mukhtar, Mohammad Mahmoud Alkot ;.


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


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Alsafi AA, Turkistani HA, Mohammed AA, Bukhari MA, Mulawi AA, Mukhtar MW, Alkot MM. Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(2): 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077

Web Style

Alsafi AA, Turkistani HA, Mohammed AA, Bukhari MA, Mulawi AA, Mukhtar MW, Alkot MM. Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=304112 [Access: June 27, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Alsafi AA, Turkistani HA, Mohammed AA, Bukhari MA, Mulawi AA, Mukhtar MW, Alkot MM. Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(2): 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Alsafi AA, Turkistani HA, Mohammed AA, Bukhari MA, Mulawi AA, Mukhtar MW, Alkot MM. Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. (2026), [cited June 27, 2026]; 10(2): 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


Harvard Style

Alsafi, A. A., Turkistani, . H. A., Mohammed, . A. A., Bukhari, . M. A., Mulawi, . A. A., Mukhtar, . M. W. & Alkot, . M. M. (2026) Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. IJMDC, 10 (2), 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


Turabian Style

Alsafi, Abduljalil Adnan, Hamza Abdullah Turkistani, Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed, Mutasim Abdulrahman Bukhari, Abdullatif Abdulrashid Mulawi, Majed Wasel Mukhtar, and Mohammad Mahmoud Alkot. 2026. Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (2), 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


Chicago Style

Alsafi, Abduljalil Adnan, Hamza Abdullah Turkistani, Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed, Mutasim Abdulrahman Bukhari, Abdullatif Abdulrashid Mulawi, Majed Wasel Mukhtar, and Mohammad Mahmoud Alkot. "Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10 (2026), 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Alsafi, Abduljalil Adnan, Hamza Abdullah Turkistani, Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed, Mutasim Abdulrahman Bukhari, Abdullatif Abdulrashid Mulawi, Majed Wasel Mukhtar, and Mohammad Mahmoud Alkot. "Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10.2 (2026), 649-655. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Alsafi, A. A., Turkistani, . H. A., Mohammed, . A. A., Bukhari, . M. A., Mulawi, . A. A., Mukhtar, . M. W. & Alkot, . M. M. (2026) Awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among Umm-Al-Qura University students, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (2), 649-655. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1766413077




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