Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Polish Language Version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC)

Sep 30, 2026

Validation and psychometric evaluation of the Polish-language version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) in school-age youth is conducted to address the lack of Poland-specific screening tools. A randomly selected sample of 348 children aged 6–15 completes the SDSC via parent reports alongside sociodemographic measures. Reliability is assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and domain associations using Spearman correlations. Results show excellent internal consistency (α=0.9) with subscales ranging 0.69–0.83, and detected sleep disorders in 18.68%. Findings support reliable assessment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Reading Time43 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Article Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Polish Language Version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) Małgorzata Ja˛czak-Go´zdziak 1, *, Oliviero Bruni 2 and Marcin Z˙arowski 1, * Academic Editor: Napoleon Waszkiewicz Received: 23 November 2025 Revised: 24 December 2025 Accepted: 1 January 2026 Published: 5 January 2026 Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Department of Developmental Neurology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznan, Poland 2 Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00-185 Rome, Italy; [oliviero.bruni@uniroma1.it](oliviero.bruni@uniroma1.it) * Correspondence: [g.jaczak@gmail.com](g.jaczak@gmail.com) (M.J.-G.); [zarowski@ump.edu.pl](zarowski@ump.edu.pl) (M.Z˙ .) Abstract Background/Objectives: In this study, we aimed to validate and psychometrically evaluate a tool for examining sleep disorders in Polish children. Methods: This study involved a randomly selected sample of 348 children aged 6 to 15 years, sourced from preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools in a city with a population exceeding 100,000, in addition to two smaller towns in Poland. Parents were asked to complete the Sleep Disorders Scale for Children (SDSC) in conjunction with a sociodemographic survey. The tool’s reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (α), and correlations among various domains were evaluated using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (Rs) . Results: The study demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the SDSC, with a Cronbach’s α value of 0.9 . The individual subscales also exhibited acceptable reliability values, ranging from 0.69 to 0.83 . Considering T-scores over 70 as indicative of a problem, we identified at least one sleep disorder in 65 participants (18.68%) . The most common issues included sleep hyperhidrosis (SHY; 7.47%), disorders of excessive somnolence (DOES; 7.18%), and sleep–wake transition disorders (SWTDs; 5.75%) . Students in secondary education were more likely to experience disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), disorders of arousal (DA), and DOES. Conclusions: Based on our findings, the Polish version of the SDSC may be considered a reliable and effective tool for assessing sleep disturbances in school-age children and adolescents. Keywords: sleep disorders; SDSC; Polish validation of SDSC 1. Introduction Healthy sleep, both in duration and in quality, is vital for mental and physical wellbeing and plays a crucial role in proper development [1–3] . The rise in technology and the increasing use of digital devices—such as computers, smartphones, and televisions—by younger children, combined with the widespread use of social media among adolescents, has contributed to a noticeable increase in sleep disorders within these age groups [3–5] . Excessive screen time is a key factor leading to insufficient sleep, poorer sleep quality, heightened daytime sleepiness, and disruptions in physiological sleep and circadian rhythms [3–6] . These factors may result in impaired melatonin secretion, delayed sleep onset, and reduced REM sleep, ultimately causing serious consequences such as cognitive impairments, mood disorders, and metabolic issues [4] . It is essential to ensure adequate sleep for children and adolescents and identify any abnormalities. Currently, in Poland, there is no available tool for assessing or screening sleep disorders in children and adolescents, thus highlighting an important gap in this area. When assessing sleep-related problems, it is recommended to use sleep rating scalesand sleep diaries for the initial assessment before employing objective methods or tests, such as polysomnography or actigraphy, which are more time-consuming [7] . Numerous questionnaire-based tools are

FAQs

What is the purpose of validating the Polish version of the SDSC?

To validate and psychometrically evaluate a tool for examining sleep disorders in Polish children and adolescents, addressing the absence of an available Poland-specific assessment tool.

How was reliability of the Polish SDSC evaluated?

Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and correlations among different domains were evaluated with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.

What were the main psychometric findings?

The Polish SDSC showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.9), while subscales demonstrated acceptable reliability values between 0.69 and 0.83.

Sep 30, 2026

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