Psychometric Properties of Short Form Persian Version of the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the short form Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS-10) in college students. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study statistical population consisted of students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the place of research was schools (faculties) of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Four hundred students (234 women; 166 men; with mean (± SD) age of 22.18 ± 4.06 years) were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The assessment measures were Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS-10), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest method were used to determine reliability of the scale. The scale’s construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis. Statistical findings showed that the DBAS-10 internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.84) and test-retest reliability (r=0.83) are reasonable. The DBAS-10 total scores were significantly correlated with PSQI (r=0.45) and DASS-21 subscales of depression (r=0.25), anxiety (r=0.35), and stress (r=0.25). Factor analysis identified two significant subscales for DBAS-10. The DBAS-10 has an appropriate validity and reliability in college students.