RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Sleep quality is a complex phenomenon with quantitative and subjective aspects that vary during adolescence. The prevalence of sleep disorders is not known in Tunisia due to the lack of validated tools. AIM: To translate and validate the questionnaire Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) into Tunisian Arabic in middle school students. METHODS: We translated the PSQI into Tunisian Arabic based on the translation back-translation method. We conducted a cross-sectional study on a sample of 560 adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to study construct validity. To test reliability, the global internal consistency of the scale was computed. RESULTS: The construct validity was verified by factor analysis, proving that a single factor explained 30.3% of the overall variance. This model produced a good factor load for all the components. The analysis of the reliability showed an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.6). CONCLUSION: The Arabic Tunisian version of the PSQI is a psychometrically valid measure. The PSQI could be useful for the detection and evaluation of symptoms of sleep disorders, as well as for further studies and researches about associated factors with poor sleep quality in adolescent and youth.
