Introduction
Daytime sleepiness in children is a growing concern for health and education professionals. This issue is linked to insufficient sleep, which can impair cognitive and learning skills. A recent study titled "Psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS)" provides valuable insights into assessing sleepiness in Russian-speaking children. The study aimed to validate the Russian version of the PDSS, ensuring its reliability and applicability for evaluating excessive sleepiness among children.
Research Overview
The study involved 552 students from Northern Russia, aged 7 to 12 years. The researchers conducted a thorough translation and validation process to adapt the PDSS for Russian-speaking children. The validation process included exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and test-retest reliability assessments. The PDSS demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.8) and construct validity, with factor loadings ranging from 0.438 to 0.727. The test-retest reliability was also strong, with an intra-class coefficient of 0.70.
Key Findings
- The PDSS is a reliable tool for assessing daytime sleepiness in Russian-speaking children.
- Higher PDSS scores were negatively correlated with sleep duration, indicating that children with shorter sleep durations tend to experience more daytime sleepiness.
- The PDSS scores were independent of sex, suggesting its broad applicability across different demographics.
Implications for Practitioners
Practitioners can utilize the Russian version of the PDSS to identify children at risk of excessive daytime sleepiness. This tool can aid in the early detection of sleep-related issues, allowing for timely interventions. Additionally, the PDSS can be used to monitor treatment progress and evaluate the effectiveness of sleep interventions over time.
Encouraging Further Research
The study underscores the importance of having culturally adapted tools for assessing sleepiness in children. Practitioners are encouraged to conduct further research to explore the relationship between sleepiness and academic performance in different cultural contexts. Expanding the research to include objective measures of sleep, such as actigraphy, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of sleep patterns in children.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS).
