Validity and reliability of an Arabic version of the Sleep Hygiene Index

Aim: this study aims to assess the reliability and validity of an Arabic version of the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI).

Methods: A methodological study was carried out in four stages: initial translation by 2 professional translators, evaluation and synthesis of the initial translation by project managers, back-translation and validation. The Arabic (SHI-AR) and English (SHI-ENG) versions of the SHI were administered across Lebanon as an anonymous online survey in April 2020. Internal consistency of the SHI-AR and inter-rater reliability were assessed by calculating Cronbach alpha (α) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) respectively. Inter-rater agreement for each item of the SHI was measured using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Construct validity was investigated by exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

Results: 363 participants were enrolled in the study (129 men, 234 women, mean age 30 ± 11 years). There was no statistically significant difference between mean overall scores on the 2 versions of the SHI with mean scores of 19.16 ± 7.4 and 19.25 ± 7.6 on SHI-AR and SHI-ENG respectively (p = 0.265). Internal consistency was satisfactory (α = 0.749), and the inter-rater agreement for the total scores of the 2 versions of the SHI was excellent (ICC = 0.980). All items of the SHI showed substantial to high level of agreement between the 2 versions. EFA established four factors underlying the questionnaire.

Conclusion: The Arabic version of the SHI is a valid tool to assess sleep hygiene in Arabic speaking populations.