Development and standardization of Morningness- Eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) in the Nepali language

Abstract

ABSTRACT Individuals can be classified into different chronotypes concerning their circadian rhythm features. Morningness-Eveningness (MEQ) can be defined as individual differences in sleep-wake patterns and people’s time-of-day feel and perform the best. Various self-report instruments that measure the Morningness-Eveningness have been developed. The Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), developed by Horne and Östberg, was the first and most used questionnaire for determining the chronotypes of an individual. The main aim of the current study was to translate and validate the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) to the Nepali language. The English version of the MEQ was translated to the Nepali language using the translation-back-translation method. Further, it was given to 10 native Nepali speakers for content validation. The final MEQ-Nepali version was then administered to 116 native Nepali speakers. Mean, standard deviation, variance, and reliability statistics such as Cronbach’s alpha score, intraclass correlation coefficient, and item-total correlation were obtained for the data. Results showed that the MEQ-Nepali version has a Cronbach’s alpha score and an inter-class correlation coefficient of 0.73, which is considered good reliability. The MEQ Nepali version developed in this study is found to be valid and reliable. Hence, it can be used to categorize Nepali-speaking populations into various circadian types.