Living alone and health-related quality of life among adults with obstructive sleep apnea in a single-center cohort study

Objective To determine the impact of a solitary lifestyle on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods This was a prospective cohort study; patients diagnosed with OSA but not receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy were enrolled in our study. These participants completed basic information and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) at baseline and were divided into the living alone and living with others groups. Telephone follow-up was performed 1 year later to re-evaluate the SF-36. Differences in health status between and within groups were assessed. In addition, variables associated with changes in the health of the whole population were examined. Results A total of 402 patients with OSA were enrolled, including 120 in the living alone group and the rest in the living with others group. After a year, mental health scores of the living alone group decreased (55.7 +/- 21.5 versus 54.1 +/- 22.7, p= 0.001), while physical functioning scores of the living with others group increased significantly (82.1 +/- 24.7 versus 82.6 +/- 24.2, p= 0.006). In the whole population, the determinants of mental health change after 1 year from baseline were alcohol drinking (beta coefficient - 1.169, 95% CI - 2.03 to - 0.309, p = 0.008) and solitary living (beta coefficient - 1.135, 95% CI - 2.072 to - 0.199, p = 0.018). Conclusion Regarding all initial variables, alcohol drinking and solitary living seem to be the predictors of mental health change of patients with OSA in China. We speculate that to improve the quality of life of such people, the medical staff could provide certain social support for them.