Investigating the State of Sleep Disorders and the Factors Affecting Them in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that leads to non-traumatic disability and is influenced by both hereditary and environmental factors. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the state of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome and the factors affecting it in patients with multiple sclerosis. Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study included 180 patients, selected based on previous studies on MS patients and the prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome. The STOP-BANG questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were used for data collection. Additionally, a demographic profile form was utilized to gather information on age, sex, marital status, education level, and income status of the patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software, employing mean and standard deviation, chi-square test, ANOVA, correlation coefficient, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that among patients with a low risk of OSA, 87.3% were female, whereas among those with a high risk of OSA, 71.4% were male. This indicates that the risk of OSA is higher in men than in women with MS. Additionally, the mean ± SD of the Epworth score in high-risk individuals was 16.41 (1.56), compared to 14.27 (1.78) in low-risk individuals, indicating poorer Epworth scores in those at high risk of OSA. Conclusions: The prevalence of OSA and other sleep disorders among patients with MS in Ilam was found to be high. Therefore, it is recommended that necessary therapeutic and rehabilitation interventions be implemented to reduce OSA and improve the sleep quality of these patients.