Association between physical activity patterns and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data

With the acceleration of modern life, the “Weekend Warrior” (WW) exercise pattern has become increasingly popular. This study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007–2008, 2015–2016, and 2017–2020, examines the association between physical activity (PA) patterns and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults aged 18 and above.

The analysis included 19,223 adults who provided self-reported data on their PA patterns. Participants were categorized into four PA groups: inactive, insufficiently active, weekend warrior (WW), and regularly active (RA). Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the association between PA patterns and OSA symptoms. Stratified analyses were performed to assess variations across demographic and BMI subgroups.

After adjusting for relevant covariates, the WW (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: [0.72, 0.99]) and RA (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: [0.77, 0.90]) groups demonstrated significantly lower odds of OSA symptoms compared to the inactive group. The protective effect of the WW pattern was observed in specific subgroups, including non-Hispanic whites, low-income individuals, and males. In contrast, the RA pattern exhibited a more consistent protective effect across most demographic and BMI subgroups. No significant difference in OSA symptom likelihood was found between the RA and WW groups after adjusting for covariates (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: [0.87, 1.20]).

Both the WW and RA patterns are associated with a significantly lower prevalence of OSA symptoms compared to inactivity. While the WW pattern appears beneficial for certain subgroups, the RA pattern shows broader applicability. These findings highlight the potential of even non-daily PA, such as weekend activity, in reducing the likelihood of OSA symptoms, especially in specific populations.