Association between physical activity and sleep-disordered breathing in male Japanese workers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Whether physical activity reduces the risk of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) for non-obese people remains unclear. The present cross-sectional study examined the association between physical activity and SDB among non-obese male Japanese workers. Methods All 200 workers in a company in Tokyo, Japan, who drove a motor vehicle as part of their job, were invited to be screened for SDB to prevent traffic accidents. Of these, 195 agreed to participate in this study. The number of apnea and hypopnea episodes occurring during one night was measured using a single-channel airflow monitor to obtain an individual respiratory disturbance index (RDI). SDB was defined as RDI\ua0\u226515\ua0apneas/hypopneas/h. Non-obese males (body mass index\ua0