Translation and cross-cultural validation of the French version of the Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder scale of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire

Abstract

BackgroundSleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, is often underestimated because it requires a burdensome test (ie, polysomnography) to ensure diagnosis. To improve polysomnography referral, it is of utmost importance to validate efficient alternative screening tools. This study aimed to provide a translation and a cross-cultural validation of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) into French to obtain an easy-to-use and reliable screening tool. The psychometric properties of the French version were also determined. MethodsThe process of cross-cultural adaptation was carried out following these steps: forward-backward translation, evaluation by an expert committee, and pretesting of the pre-final version. Reliability of the French-PSQ version was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients and Spearman's correlation on a convenient sample of 201 children (aged between 2 and 17 years). Construct validity was determined by factor analysis of principal components. ResultsInternal consistency was within an adequate range for all subscales: 0.711 for snoring, 0.559 for sleepiness, 0.682 for behavioral problems, and 0.776 for the whole questionnaire. Spearman's correlation analysis comparing questionnaires administered two weeks apart showed good correlation coefficients for all subscales (snoring: 0.642, sleepiness: 0.846, behavioral problems: 0.780, and entire SRBD scale: 0.835). Factor analysis performed to assess the structure of the French-SRBD scale confirmed the same four factors described in the original questionnaire (“breathing,” “behavior,” “sleepiness,” and “other”). ConclusionThe French version of the PSQ has been successfully cross-culturally adapted and showed good psychometric properties, suggesting that it is useful as a tool to screen sleep-disordered breathing in French-speaking children.