Determining the Frequency of Restless Legs Syndrome in the Adult Population

Abstract

Objective: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a chronic disease that usually occurs in the legs, resulting in involuntary movement of the legs with uncomfortable sensations. RLS negatively affects the quality of life of individuals. In this study, it is aimed to increase awareness by determining the frequency of RLS in the adult population.

Methods: The study was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. In the study, 565 individuals aged 18 and over participated. The data were collected online from individuals with the form of describing the personal characteristics of the individuals, the RLS Diagnostic Criteria Questionnaire, and the RLS Severity Rating Scale. IBM SPSS statistics 26.0 program was used in the analysis of the data.

Results: In this study, the frequency of RLS was 17.5% and the severity score was 19.22 +/- 6.97 (moderate). The rate of admitting to a health institution due to the symptoms of individuals is 5.8%. In this study, the frequency of RLS was found to be significantly higher in those with diabetes, hypertension, age, and high body mass index.

Conclusion: Although most of the participants in this study had symptoms of RLS, it was seen that they were not admitted to a health institution. If these individuals are not treated, their quality of life gets affected negatively, and this negatively affects the quality of health care. In order to increase the quality of health care, RLS should be screened especially in risky groups and treatment should be started in determined patients.