Parent-Reported Habitual Snoring and Depressive Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents Who Are Obese

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with medical and psychological problems, including obesity and depression. Snoring is the most common complaint for SDB. We hypothesized that children and adolescents who are obese and snore would have more depressive symptoms than those who do not snore. Participants (ages 6–17) evaluated for a weight management program (n?=?247) were divided into parent-reported habitual snorers (34%) and non-snorers (65%). Habitual snorers had significantly more self-reported symptoms of depression than did non-snorers (0.041); a trend remained after controlling for BMI z-scores (0.053). Clinicians should be aware of depressive symptoms in this high-risk population.