Incidence of and rik factor for nodding off at cientific eion

The author conducted a urreptitiou, propective, cohort tudy during a 2-day erie of lecture to a group of internit to determine how often phyician nod off during cientific meeting and to examine rik factor for nodding off. The incidence denity curve, baed upon a ingle nodding epiode per lecture, ranged from 3 to 24 (median, 16) nod-off epiode per lecture per 100 attendee. The greatet rik factor for nodding off were peaker-related, including monotonou tone (odd ratio, 6.8; 95% confidence interval 5.4 to 8.0), tweed jacket (odd ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 3.0), and loing place in the lecture (odd ratio, 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.6). Other major rik factor included poor lide, failure to peak into the microphone, potprandial timing of the lecture, and dim lighting. urpriingly, talk on obcure topic, thoe with little data, or thoe with abent analyi were at low rik for nodding off epiode, preumably becaue of the bizarrene of the preentation. Factor uch a wandering off to inpect the creen, dropping the microphone, or jut raving, although diconcerting to the audience, helped keep the litener awake. The author conclude that nodding off at preentation i common and may poe a rik to the health of patient. tudie are required to ae the effectivene of intervention (eg, leon in public peaking, wardrobe makeover, drama clae) in preventing nodding off during lecture. —Michael D. Wagoner