# Development of a measure of knowledge and attitudes about obstructive sleep apnea for pediatric anesthesia (OSAKA-PedAn) and survey of knowledge and attitudes about pediatric obstructive sleep apnea among Italian anesthesiologists

## TL;DR

This study created a tool to assess knowledge about pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and found that pediatric anesthetists know more than general anesthesiologists.

## Contribution

Development of the OSAKA-PedAn questionnaire as a valid tool to evaluate knowledge about pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.

## Key findings

- Only 1.48% of 15,000 surveyed Italian anesthesiologists completed the questionnaire.
- Pediatric anesthetists answered more correctly than general anesthesiologists.
- The OSAKA-PedAn questionnaire is a valid tool for assessing knowledge on pediatric OSA.

## Abstract

Sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome are two diseases of relevant clinical and research interest, especially in the pediatric field. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding these diseases.

We performed a survey that was administered electronically, via the SurveyMonkey platform, to 15,000 Italian anesthesiologists registered on the SIAARTI mailing list for a period of 4 months (April–July 2021).

A total of 223 anesthesiologists completed the questionnaire (1.48%), 143 female and 79 male. Pediatric anesthetists generally responded more correctly than the general anesthesiology population.

The topic of pediatric OSA is a topic on which to invest in training of anesthesiologists, and the OSAKA-PedAn questionnaire is a valid tool to test the level of basic competence and that achieved.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44158-025-00260-z.