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Screening for Sleep Reduction in Adolescents Through Self-report: Development and Validation of the Sleep Reduction Screening Questionnaire (SRSQ)

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Abstract

Background

Sleep reduction, resulting from insufficient or poor sleep, is a common phenomenon in adolescents. Due to its severe negative psychological and behavioral daytime consequences, it is important to have a short reliable and valid measure to assess symptoms of sleep reduction.

Objective

This study aims to validate the Sleep Reduction Screening Questionnaire (SRSQ) that can be used to screen for symptoms of sleep reduction in adolescents.

Methods

Various samples from the general and clinical populations were included in the study. The SRSQ is a nine-item questionnaire that is based on the longer, four dimensional Chronic Sleep Reduction Questionnaire (Meijer in J Sleep Res 17:395–405, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00677.x, 2008). Items were selected on the basis of principal components analysis, item-total correlations, and substantive consideration. The SRSQ was validated by calculating correlations with self-reported and objective sleep and self-reported daytime functioning. Cut-off scores were determined so that the SRSQ can be used as a screening instrument.

Results

Internal consistencies of the SRSQ were good (Cronbach’s alpha = .79 in the general population). Correlations with self-reported sleep, daytime functioning and objective sleep variables were satisfactory and in the expected directions. The SRSQ discriminates well between clinical and non-clinical cases. When accounting for prevalence of sleep reduction symptoms in the general population, the area under the curve was .91, sensitivity was .80 and specificity was .87.

Conclusions

The SRSQ appears to be a short reliable and valid questionnaire. Due to the limited number of items and the availability of cut-off scores, it is a practical tool for clinical and research purposes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Manon Nieberg, Catharina den Ouden, Karlijn van Vliet, Anita Ranzijn, Nicole de Ruyter and Yfke Mollema for their help during the data collection and Arjan Miedema for permission to use his data. Furthermore, we are thankful to all participating schools and adolescents.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Julia F. Dewald-Kaufmann

    Present address: Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany

  2. Michelle A. Short

    Present address: Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, 1018 VZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Annette van Maanen, Julia F. Dewald-Kaufmann, Frans J. Oort, Eduard J. de Bruin & Anne Marie Meijer

  2. Centre for Sleep-Wake Disorders and Chronobiology, Hospital Gelderse Vallei, Ede, The Netherlands

    Marcel G. Smits

  3. School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

    Michelle A. Short & Michael Gradisar

  4. Research Institute Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Gerard A. Kerkhof

Authors
  1. Annette van Maanen
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  2. Julia F. Dewald-Kaufmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annette van Maanen.

Additional information

Annette van Maanen and Julia F. Dewald-Kaufmann have contributed equally to this work.

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van Maanen, A., Dewald-Kaufmann, J.F., Oort, F.J. et al. Screening for Sleep Reduction in Adolescents Through Self-report: Development and Validation of the Sleep Reduction Screening Questionnaire (SRSQ). Child Youth Care Forum 43, 607–619 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9256-z

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