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Examining the reliability and validity of the arabic version of the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES)

  • Psychiatrics • Original Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Sleep effort refers to the cognitive and behavioral exertion involved in initiating and maintaining sleep. High sleep effort is increasingly recognized as perpetuating insomnia and poor sleep quality. Validated sleep effort scales enable the quantification of this construct in clinical and research settings. However, no Arabic version has been available. This study translated and validated the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES) into Arabic to assess sleep effort in Arabic-speaking populations.

Method

The GSES was translated into Arabic using the forward–backward translation approach. This involved an initial Arabic translation from the source followed by a back translation into English to ensure accuracy. A total of 369 participants were recruited to assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the GSES, specifically its reliability and validity. The reliability analysis included Cronbach’s α, McDonald's ω, and test–retest reliability. Validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the unidimensionality of the scale and assess model fit. Convergent validity was also assessed through correlation analysis with the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7).

Results

The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficient and McDonald's ω for the scale were found to be 0.87 (95% CI: 0.85–0.89). The test–retest reliability was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93 – 0.97) after two weeks. The one-factor model showed an acceptable fit, with a CFI of 0.96, a TLI of 0.94, and an SRMR of 0.04. Invariance analysis revealed that male and female participants conceptualized and responded to the GSES items similarly, without differences in factor loadings or scale characteristics between the sexes. The Arabic version of the GSES has good convergent validity, as shown by the significant correlation between the AIS and the GSES (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Similarly, the GAD-7 score was significantly correlated with the GSES score (r = 0.77, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This is the first study in which the GSES was validated in Arabic. This allows the scale to reliably gauge sleep effort among Arabic speakers, providing new clinical and research opportunities to understand how maladaptive sleep effort may contribute to insomnia and suboptimal sleep in this demographic population.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain

    Abdulmajeed Abdullah Alghamdi & Haitham Jahrami

  2. Department Nutrition and Food Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Salma Yasser Abu-Saleh

  3. Department of Medicine, King Khalid University, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia

    Yara Abdullah Almohaya & Hind Khayran Alamri

  4. Nutrition and Food Science Department, Agriculture School, The University of Jordan, P. O. Box 11942, Amman, Jordan

    Hadeel Ghazzawi

  5. High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, Research Laboratory: Education, Motricity, Sport and Health, EM2S, LR19JS01, University of Sfax, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia

    Khaled Trabelsi

  6. Government Hospitals, Manama, Bahrain

    Zahra Saif & Haitham Jahrami

  7. Department of Medicine, University Sleep Disorders Center and Pulmonary Service, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed S. BaHammam

  8. The Strategic Technologies Program of the National Plan for Sciences and Technology and Innovation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed S. BaHammam

  9. Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal

  10. Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India

    Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal

  11. King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, 11472, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed S. BaHammam

Authors
  1. Abdulmajeed Abdullah Alghamdi
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  2. Salma Yasser Abu-Saleh
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  3. Yara Abdullah Almohaya
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  4. Hind Khayran Alamri
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  6. Khaled Trabelsi
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  7. Zahra Saif
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  8. Ahmed S. BaHammam
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  9. Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal
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  10. Haitham Jahrami
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Contributions

AA, SA, YA, HA, and HJ designed the study. AA, SA, YA, HA, HG, KT, and ZS collected the data. KT and HJ analyzed the data. AA, SA, YA, HA, HG, KT, ZS, ASB, SRP, and HJ wrote the first draft. All the authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdulmajeed Abdullah Alghamdi.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This research received approval from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Jordan's Institutional Review Board in Amman, Jordan (Code: REC/HG/23/475). All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The study procedures adhered to the ethical guidelines outlined in the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and its subsequent amendments (1975, 1983, 1989, and 1996). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. All participants included in the study were adults aged 18 years and above.

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Alghamdi, A.A., Abu-Saleh, S.Y., Almohaya, Y.A. et al. Examining the reliability and validity of the arabic version of the Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES). Sleep Breath (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-024-03053-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-024-03053-w

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