Adapting the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) for Arabic-speaking Populations: Translation, Reliability Testing, and Validation Using Classical Theory and Item Response Theory

Sleep is essential for athletes' physical performance as well as their general health, well-being, and quality of life. To assess athletes' sleep behaviors, the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) was developed in the English language. However, a validated Arabic-version of the ASBQ is lacking. This study aimed to translate the ASBQ into Arabic (ASBQ-AR) and evaluate its reliability and validity among Arabic-speaking athletes. A total of 458 participants (254 athletes, 202 non-athletes) from four Arabic countries completed the ASBQ-AR and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaires. The psychometric properties of the ASBQ-AR were examined using unidimensional reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Item Response Theory (IRT), and convergent validity. The ASBQ-AR had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.723, McDonald's ω = 0.725) and a factorial structure, confirming its construct validity. CFA demonstrated improved model fit indices after the removal of two potentially misfitting items (items 4 and 13); however, the model's fit to the data remains suboptimal. IRT results indicated that the majority of items demonstrated a good model fit, suggesting effective measurement of the intended construct without significant interference, except for ASBQ-AR 4. Additionally, ASBQ-AR 4 appears to present the highest level of difficulty for respondents. In terms of convergent validity, the mean ASBQ-AR global score was correlated with the mean ISI global score (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001). The ASBQ-AR is a reliable and valid tool for assessing maladaptive sleep practices among Arabic-speaking athletes. Additional refinements to the ASBQ-AR are warranted to optimize its psychometric properties.