Using a questionnaire, a snoring study was done in 400 medical and 78 nursing students of University
Malaysia Sarawak in 2004 and 2005. The response rates were 72.5% for medical students and 83.3%
for nursing students. The habitual snoring percentages for all years, first year and final year medical
students were 7.2, 9.9 and 3.6 respectively; and for all years, first year and third year nursing students
were 12.3, 13.3 and 8.3. These figures were lower than those found in Hong Kong and Germany, despite
similar body mass index (BMI). In the combined group of student, positive correlation with snoring
was found in male gender (p=0.011), BMI (p=0.002) and sleep apnoea (p=0.05). For medical students,
positive correlation was found in male gender (p<0.0005), weight (p <0.001), height (p <0.001) and
sleep apnoea (p<0.001), and for nursing students in BMI (p=0.008) and weight (p=0.033). No significant
correlation was found in snoring with Epworth Sleepiness Scale and academic performance.