Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition typified by repeated upper airway collapse during sleep, include oxygen loss and fragmented sleep [1]. The negative effects of this syndrome—depression, too much daytime drowsiness, and a higher risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases—cause death rates to rise [2]. Research indicates that up to 50% of individuals have moderate-to-severe episodes of OSA (AHI > 15 events/h), and the frequency is fast growing [3, 4]. Many factors, including improved sleep study sensors, aging populations, obesity, and relaxed scoring criteria for respiratory episodes [5, 6] contribute to this rise.

Between 9 and 38% of people globally suffer with OSA; males and older age groups have greater frequency [7]. The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study estimates that between the ages of 30 and 60 OSA affects around 24% of men and 9% of women in the United States. Most of these cases go untreated [8]. Franklin and Lindberg (2015) [4] estimate that OSA is equally frequent in Europe, impacting 49.7% of males and 23.4% of women. Depending on lifestyle, weight, and craniofacial architecture, OSA prevalence in Asia ranges widely. Studies estimate the rates in China to be 27.3% and in India to be 3.5% [9, 10].

OSA has quite high frequency in Saudi Arabia. BaHammam et al.'s [11] study With greater rates among individuals who are obese, diabetic, or hypertensive, an estimated 33% of Saudi adults are considered to have OSA. Wali et al. [12] find that OSA is more likely to strike Saudi women at 7.4% and middle-aged Saudi men at 19.5%.

Given the prevalent ignorance about OSA, health education is very essential to improving treatment adherence. This study assessed Saudi knowledge about OSA [13, 14].

Alshehri et al. (2020) provide insightful analysis of the knowledge, awareness, and opinions of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among Saudi Arabia's Asir area population [15]. This study adds to the increasing corpus of studies on the necessity of public health campaigns and educational programs to raise OSA awareness and management in Saudi Arabia by stressing the gaps in knowledge and consciousness of OSA. The results of this research may guide focused treatments meant to raise OSA awareness and support improved regional health results.

The research by Rasool et al., on knowledge of OSA among the general public in Arar, Northern Region of Saudi Arabia, clarifies the present level of awareness about this sleep condition in a particular geographic location [16]. The results of the research may assist legislators and healthcare practitioners in creating focused awareness campaigns and instructional initiatives to raise OSA understanding and management in the area. This work contributes to the increasing corpus of studies on OSA awareness in Saudi Arabia by helping to raise awareness of it in a population that has not been well researched before.

Rich insights on the experiences and viewpoints of those directly linked to patients come from Al Nufaiei et al.'s (2024) qualitative research evaluating the knowledge and awareness of OSA among Saudi Arabia's patient families [17]. The results of the research emphasize the importance of family-centered educational initiatives and support tools to raise OSA awareness and control among patient families. Through investigating the viewpoints of patient families, this research advances knowledge of the social and family setting of OSA in Saudi Arabia.

The cross-sectional study on awareness and knowledge of OSA among the people of the Al-Baha area of Saudi Arabia by Alghamdi et al. (2023) contributes to the growing corpus of studies on OSA awareness in several parts of Saudi Arabia [18]. The results of the research emphasize the importance of public health campaigns and instructional activities to raise OSA awareness and control in the Al-Baha area. This research may guide focused actions to enhance OSA management in a certain geographic area by helping to raise awareness of OSA among that population.

This research reveals among the polled population a worrisome lack of general understanding and awareness of OSA, its diagnosis, and treatment. Two-thirds of the respondents, according to the results, were not acquainted with OSA, which is in line with past research both in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Moreover, knowledge of polysomnography—the gold standard for OSA diagnosis—was poor, which might explain underdiagnosis and delayed therapy. Symptom identification was restricted; only few of the respondents could identify typical symptoms such tiredness and loud snoring. There was poor understanding of the major health effects of OSA, like cognitive decline and heart disease, which is in line with other studies. The most often used OSA therapy, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), was hardly known to a tiny fraction of the responders. Region, age, healthcare employment, and family history all affect awareness; greater awareness is seen in Central Saudi Arabia, among younger people, healthcare workers, and those with a family history of OSA. Targeted awareness programs concentrating on impoverished and less informed populations, employing digital outreach and cooperation with health authorities, are advised in order to fill in knowledge gaps. Public health campaigns should stress the need of early diagnosis and treatment rates by stressing the identification of OSA symptoms and the hazards related with untreated OSA. In the end, this research emphasizes the need of more public education and awareness campaigns to raise the health results for OSA sufferers.

In order to gauge public awareness, a verified online cross-sectional survey was carried out in Saudi Arabia from October to November 2024. The poll collected information on medical history, demographics, and healthcare. The study was approved by the University of Hail Ethics Committee, which guaranteed data privacy and consent. Although online data collecting was widely accessible, it also excluded older persons with tech-challenged conditions and ran the risk of recall bias, indicating that clinical or in-person techniques should be used in future studies.

The analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27.0. Frequencies and percentages were used in descriptive statistics to summarize biodemographic data. A 60% limit was used to classify knowledge levels as good or low, and each correct response was awarded one point. Biodemographic relationships were evaluated using Pearson's Chi-Square test, and when assumptions were not met, the Exact Probability test was used. A p-value was deemed significant if it was less than 0.05.

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, recruiting 992 participants from across Saudi Arabia using a validated online questionnaire. While the exact sampling process isn't detailed, it's likely that a non-probability sampling method, such as convenience sampling, was used to recruit participants. The participants were randomly selected through social media, online forums, or other convenient channels. The study aimed to include participants from all regions of Saudi Arabia, but the results show an overrepresentation of participants from the Northern region (55%). The online questionnaire might have been more accessible or appealing to individuals from the Northern region. Variations in internet penetration or access might have contributed to the overrepresentation of participants from certain regions.