Translating the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Into Arabic

TLDR

The study aims to translate and psychometrically evaluate the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in Arabic. The authors used a descriptive correlational design, translating the PSQI with 10 bilingual translators and testing it in 35 healthy bilingual participants. The Arabic PSQI was successfully translated, showing borderline acceptable internal consistency (α = .65) and strong convergent validity with the Insomnia Severity Index (r = .76) and moderate correlations with other components. Further testing in larger Arabic clinical and healthy populations is needed.

Abstract

This descriptive correlational study describes the translation process and the psychometric testing of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI has been successfully translated into Arabic and back-translated into English by 10 Arabic bilingual translators. Then the PSQI is tested in a sample of 35 healthy Arabic bilinguals.The internal consistency reliability for the Global PSQI demonstrates borderline acceptability (Cronbach’s alpha = .65). The reliability is further supported by moderate to high correlations between five PSQI components and the global PSQI score ( r = .53 to .82, p < .01). Convergent validity is supported by the global PSQI correlating strongly with the Insomnia Severity Index ( r = .76) and moderately with the related construct of the Medical Outcome Study Short Form—36 vitality subscale ( r = —.33). Further testing of the PSQI is needed in a larger Arabic population, both clinical and healthy populations, living in their native countries.