{
  "abstract": "Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common but often overlooked disorder with profound cardiometabolic and neurocognitive consequences. Various studies in Saudi Arabia have reported varying prevalence figures. Objective: To estimate the pooled prevalence of OSA among adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out between May and August 2025 according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Observational studies that described the prevalence of OSA among adults (≥16 years) were considered. Pooled prevalence was computed using a random-effect model with Freeman–Tukey transformation. I2 statistics were used to determine the heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was undertaken according to population, diagnostic tool, size of the sample, and region. Results: Thirty-three studies with 18,403 participants were included. The overall pooled prevalence of OSA was 26.96% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.98%–33.38%), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 98.9%). This significant heterogeneity is primarily attributed to variations in study populations (general vs. high-risk) and the diverse diagnostic criteria employed across the included studies. The prevalence was 15.95% (95% CI: 11.80%–20.60%) in the general population and 42.60% (95% CI: 29.47%–56.27%) in high-risk groups. The diagnostic method influenced estimates, with polysomnography (34.1%) and STOP-BANG (33.8%) yielding higher prevalence than the Berlin Questionnaire (28.5%). Regional variation was observed, with higher prevalence in Riyadh compared to Mecca. Conclusions: About one in four Saudi adults may have OSA, with prevalence markedly higher in high-risk groups. These findings underscore the need for national screening programs and targeted interventions to reduce the burden of undiagnosed OSA.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 12,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Hasna Saleh Albalawi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Abdulrahman Abdullah S. Alelyani"
    },
    {
      "name": "Leen Omar Al Gelban"
    },
    {
      "name": "Latifah Abdullah N. Alfaraj"
    },
    {
      "name": "Badr Mahmoud Ahmed"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dina Fahad Alshahrani"
    },
    {
      "name": "Abdulaziz A. Alhumam"
    },
    {
      "name": "Abdullah Mohammed Aldakhil"
    },
    {
      "name": "Abdullah Abdulaziz Alsuwayyid"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lina Nasreldin Ahmed"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nada Ibrahim A. Asiri"
    },
    {
      "name": "Hyder Osman Mirghani"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tab8pdg7apkv.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ovid.com/jnls/ijom/fulltext/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25~prevalence-of-obstructive-sleep-apnea-in-the-adult",
  "id": "9tab8pdg7apkv",
  "issns": [
    "2008-7802",
    "2008-8213"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-SA",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-SA",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "R"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2737|Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214701845",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": "Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tab8pdg7apkv.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
      "native_id": "16b95e3bd55b4acea80d0561f7938ff3",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2737|Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Adult Population of Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis",
  "title_text": "Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Adult Population of Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:43:50Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9tab8pdg7apkv",
  "venue": "International Journal of Preventive Medicine",
  "versions": []
}