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A new diagnostic tool for children with sleep disorders

First validation data for the Children’s Sleep Comic

Ein neues diagnostisches Instrument für Kinder mit Schlafstörungen

Erste Validierungsdaten zum Kinderschlafcomic

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Abstract

Background

In addition to a parental evaluation, the diagnosis of childhood sleep disorders should include a child’s own assessment of sleep behavior. In order to address the lack of self-rating instruments for the assessment of sleep in young children, a new self-assessment tool was developed: the Children’s Sleep Comic. Here we present the first validation data.

Materials and methods

A sample of 112 children aged between 5 and 10 years was assessed with the Children’s Sleep Comic and the German version of the Sleep Self Report (SSR-DE). Parents completed the German version of the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-DE) and participated in a telephone interview based on the diagnostic interview for sleep disorders in children (DIKS). The diagnosed sleep disorders were compared to the children’s ratings in the Children’s Sleep Comic.

Results

Kuder–Richardson analysis demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.86). Initially, no correlation was found between the intensity of sleep problem score (ISPS) of the Children’s Sleep Comic and the presence of a diagnosis. Based on theoretical considerations and discriminatory power analysis, different subscores were then calculated for the symptoms of general insomnia and those of childhood behavioral insomnia addressed by the Children’s Sleep Comic. Comparisons with the corresponding diagnoses according to the DIKS now yielded significant correlations. Comparisons between the Children’s Sleep Comic and the SSR-DE, as well as the CSHQ-DE, also indicated significant moderate correlations.

Conclusion

The Children’s Sleep Comic can be used as a reliable self-rating instrument for children with insomnia. The adapted procedure for quantitative analysis of the Children’s Sleep Comic encourages further validation of the Children’s Sleep Comic.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Zur Diagnostik kindlicher Schlafstörungen sollte das Schlafverhalten des Kindes sowohl aus elterlicher als auch aus kindlicher Sicht beurteilt werden. Um dem Mangel an Selbstbeurteilungsinstrumenten zum Schlaf bei jungen Kindern zu begegnen, wurde ein neues Instrument entwickelt, der Kinderschlafcomic. Erste Validierungsdaten werden hier vorgestellt.

Material und Methoden

Eine Stichprobe von 112 Kindern im Alter von 5–10 Jahren bearbeitete den Kinderschlafcomic und die deutsche Version des Sleep Self Report (SSR-DE). Die Eltern beantworteten zusätzlich die deutsche Version des Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-DE) und nahmen an einem Telefoninterview teil, das auf dem Diagnostischen Interview Kindlicher Schlafstörungen (DIKS) basierte. Die so diagnostizierten kindlichen Schlafstörungen wurden mit den Antworten der Kinder im Kinderschlafcomic verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Die interne Konsistenz war mit α = 0,86 hoch. Zunächst wurden keine Korrelationen zwischen dem Intensity-of-Sleep Problem Score (ISPS) des Kinderschlafcomics und einer Diagnose nach DIKS gefunden. Folglich wurden unterschiedliche Teilscores für die Diagnosen allgemeine Insomnie und behaviorale Insomnie des Kindesalters gebildet, die sich aufgrund theoretischer Überlegungen und Trennschärfeanalysen ergaben. Die anschließenden Vergleiche mit den entsprechenden Diagnosen nach DIKS erbrachten signifikante Korrelationen. Auch die Vergleiche zwischen dem Kinderschlafcomic und dem SSR-DE sowie dem CSHQ-DE ergaben signifikante moderate Korrelationen.

Schlussfolgerung

Der Kinderschlafcomic kann zur Erfassung kindlicher Insomnien als reliables Selbstbeurteilungsinstrument eingesetzt werden. Die angepasste quantitative Auswertungsmethode für den Kinderschlafcomic ermutigt zu dessen Einsatz in weiteren Analysen.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the deans and teachers at the schools for supporting this study. Particular thanks go to the children and parents for their participation.

Compliance with ethical guidelines

Conflict of interest. B. Schwerdtle, J. Kanis, L. Kahl, A. Kübler and A. Schlarb state that there are no conflicts of interest.

All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

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Schwerdtle, B., Kanis, J., Kahl, L. et al. A new diagnostic tool for children with sleep disorders. Somnologie 17, 199–204 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-013-0627-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-013-0627-8

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