The Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Anxiety and Preoccupation About Sleep Questionnaire (APSQ)

Abdulmajeed Abdullah Alghamdi; Abdulmalik Abdulrahman Abanumai; Meshal Fawaz Althobaiti; Meshari Salem Alzahrani; Salma Yasser Abu-Saleh; Achraf Ammar; Hadeel Ghazzawi; Khaled Trabelsi; Nicola Bragazzi; Ahmed S BaHammam; Haitham Jahrami; Maha M AlRasheed

doi:10.2147/NSS.S449354

The Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Version of the Anxiety and Preoccupation About Sleep Questionnaire (APSQ)

Nat Sci Sleep. 2024 Feb 2:16:75-83. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S449354. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain.
² Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
⁴ Department of Training and Movement Science, Institute of Sport Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
⁵ Interdisciplinary Laboratory in Neurosciences, Physiology, and Psychology: Physical Activity, Health, and Learning (LINP2), UFR STAPS (Faculty of Sport Sciences), UPL, Paris Nanterre University, Nanterre, France.
⁶ Nutrition and Food Science Department, Agriculture School, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
⁷ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
⁸ Research Laboratory: Education, Motricity, Sport and Health, EM2S, LR19JS01, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
⁹ Human Nutrition Unit (HNU) and Department of Food and Drugs, University of Parma, Medical School, Building C, Parma, Italy.
¹⁰ The University Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
¹² Department of Psychiatry, Government Hospitals, Manama, Bahrain.
¹³ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: Insomnia disorder is a common health condition; it has a role in increasing the possibility of developing other psychological disorders, including anxiety and depression. Anxiety and preoccupation with sleep are two examples of common cognitive factors that contribute to the development of chronic insomnia; thus, it is important to have a tool that assesses worry in insomnia. There is no comprehensive psychiatric measure to assess anxiety and preoccupation with sleep in Arabic. We conducted this study to translate, adapt, and validate the Arabic version of the Anxiety and Preoccupation about Sleep Questionnaire (APSQ), providing a reliable psychometric tool to assess concerns regarding sleep within Arabic-speaking communities.

Methods: The translation process of the scale involved several steps, including forward and backward translation. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey completed by 523 participants from various Arabic-speaking countries. Psychometric analysis was performed utilizing the R software, including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, convergent and divergent against the Athens insomnia scale (AIS) and general anxiety disorder (GAD) were conducted.

Results: The Arabic-translated form of the APSQ expresses excellent internal consistency with a value of 0.91 for both Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω. The test-retest reliability of a subsample showed an excellent coefficient of 0.93 (p<0.01). A good fit of the APSQ was observed by CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91, SRMR = 0.05, and RMSEA = 0.1. Convergent and divergent against AIS and GAD showed statistically significant correlations of 0.85 (p<0.01) and 0.69 (p<0.01), respectively. Our sample showed a mean APSQ score of 31.28 ± 8.31, and the mean age was 23.62 ± 7.5.

Conclusion: The Arabic APSQ is reliable and valid for measuring anxiety and preoccupation with sleep in Arabic countries. Using translated APSQ for clinical diagnosis and research is currently trustworthy.

Keywords: anxiety; daily performance; general health; insomnia; sleep quality.