Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Adult Population of Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
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.
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BibTeX
@article{albalawi2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Adult Population of Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis}},
author = {Hasna Saleh Albalawi and Abdulrahman Abdullah S. Alelyani and Leen Omar Al Gelban and Latifah Abdullah N. Alfaraj and Badr Mahmoud Ahmed and Dina Fahad Alshahrani and Abdulaziz A. Alhumam and Abdullah Mohammed Aldakhil and Abdullah Abdulaziz Alsuwayyid and Lina Nasreldin Ahmed and Nada Ibrahim A. Asiri and Hyder Osman Mirghani},
journal = {International Journal of Preventive Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Adult Population of Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
AU - Hasna Saleh Albalawi
AU - Abdulrahman Abdullah S. Alelyani
AU - Leen Omar Al Gelban
AU - Latifah Abdullah N. Alfaraj
AU - Badr Mahmoud Ahmed
AU - Dina Fahad Alshahrani
AU - Abdulaziz A. Alhumam
AU - Abdullah Mohammed Aldakhil
AU - Abdullah Abdulaziz Alsuwayyid
AU - Lina Nasreldin Ahmed
AU - Nada Ibrahim A. Asiri
AU - Hyder Osman Mirghani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - International Journal of Preventive Medicine
DO - 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25
UR - https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_401_25
AB - 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.
SN - 2008-7802
SN - 2008-8213
ER -