Abstract
Purpose: Sleep problems are a major cause of occupational stress in firefighters and rescue workers. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) among South Korean firefighters and rescue workers. Methods: Structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires were administered to 221 firefighters and rescue workers. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Short-Form 36-item Health Survey (SF36), and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test—Consumption (AUDIT-C) were used to examine convergent and divergent validity. Test–retest reliability was calculated from a subsample (n = 24). Analysis of internal consistency, factor analysis, and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis were conducted. Results: Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88. The mean item-total correlation coefficient was 0.73. The test–retest reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.94). Significant correlations of the AIS with the PSQI, ISI, ESS, and SF36 confirmed convergent validity. Nonsignificant associations of the AIS with the AUDIT-C and socioeconomic status showed divergent validity. Factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure. For groups with different symptom severity, group-specific cutoff scores which may improve positive predictive values were suggested. Conclusions: The AIS may be a useful tool with good reliability and validity for screening insomnia symptoms in firefighters and rescue workers.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2391-2395 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Quality of Life Research |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 14 Oct 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was supported by the National Emergency Management Agency of South Korea.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
Keywords
- Athens Insomnia Scale
- Firefighter
- Insomnia
- Rescue worker
- Validation