About the STOP-BANG questionnaire
STOP-BANG is an eight-item screening questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk. Developed by Chung and colleagues and validated in surgical and sleep-clinic populations, it turns a short set of yes/no answers and a few measurements into a single score from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating a higher likelihood of OSA.
How the score is built
Each letter of the mnemonic is worth one point when present:
- S - Snoring: loud snoring, louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors.
- T - Tiredness: frequent daytime tiredness, fatigue, or sleepiness.
- O - Observed apnea: someone has observed you stop breathing, choke, or gasp during sleep.
- P - Pressure: high blood pressure, whether treated or untreated.
- B - BMI: body mass index above 35 kg/m².
- A - Age: older than 50 years.
- N - Neck circumference: 40cm (about 16in) or more.
- G - Gender: male sex.
Adding the eight points gives the STOP-Bang score. The first four items (S, T, O, P) also form a separate 0-4 "STOP" subscore that feeds an expanded risk rule described below.
Interpreting the result
A total of 0-2 is classed as low risk of OSA, 3-4 as intermediate risk, and 5-8 as high risk. An expanded stratification rule can reclassify an intermediate score as high risk: if the STOP subscore alone is 2 or more, and the person is male, has a BMI above 35, or has a neck circumference of 40cm or more, that combination is also treated as high risk. This expanded rule exists because those three factors carry extra predictive weight on their own.
When to consult a professional
This tool performs the standard STOP-Bang arithmetic for screening and education. A high score flags an elevated probability of OSA, not a diagnosis - confirming or ruling out sleep apnea requires clinical evaluation and, typically, a sleep study, so discuss any concerning result with a healthcare provider.