Sleep Apnea Education in Latino Communities

24.10 Increase the number of persons with symptoms of OSA who seek medical evaluation; increase the number of persons diagnosed with OSA who receive ongoing followup care; decrease the number of vehicular crashes due to drowsiness

Prevent Problem Sleepiness

Through population and clinical approaches, increase the percentage of children and adults who obtain adequate sleep in order to prevent problem sleepiness and its negative health consequences.

Detect and Treat Sleep Disorders

Increase the percentage of patients who have their sleep disorders detected and who implement lifestyle and/or pharmacologic intervention and successfully manage their sleep disorders.

Develop an educational tool on obstructive sleep apnea for the lay Latino public that is culturally sensitive and meaningful.
Disseminate the tool through the established chanels of the national Promotores network. Present a training session for promotores at their national conference in August, 2001, and conduct discussions with several Promotores lay health educators regarding their perception of sleep issues within the Latino community and how sleep education messages can be incorporated into the health education activities of Promotores.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening sleep disorder characterized by repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, with consequent cessation of breathing. The cardiovascular system is also adversely affected by sleep apnea. Hypertension and obesity are strongly associated with sleep apnea. The Latino community is at high risk for cardiovascular disease, and is largely unaware of how to modify risk factors; Latinos, as well as non-Latinos are unaware of the signs, symptoms, and seriousness of obstructive sleep apnea. As a beginning step in reaching the Latino community with culturally-meaningful educational material about sleep apnea, its signs, symptoms, consequences, diagnosis and treatment, the project team will have a professional Latino translator create a practical tool for lay audiences about sleep apnea. Dissemination will be done through the existing national network of promotores, lay health educators in the Latino community.