| The purpose of this thesis was to develop a valid and reliable self-report instrument to assess common sleep problems in adolescents. The creation and validation of the Adolescent Sleep Problems Inventory (ASPI) involved three studies. Study 1 focused on adapting items from an existing self-report measure of sleep problems for adults; items were modified or replaced with items appropriate for use with adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis conducted with a community-based sample of 300 adolescents identified 4 factors for the item pool: sleep walking, excessive sleepiness, nightmares and difficulties sleeping. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted in Study 2 with another community-based sample of 261 adolescents indicated that the 4 factor structure could be successfully replicated. Study 2 also revealed that the ASPI has satisfactory internal reliability. In the same study, the ASPI was found to have moderate agreement with parent ratings of sleep problems. Several sleep problems measured by the ASPI were also found to be related to externalizing and internalizing behaviours. In Study 3, CFA conducted with a clinical sample of 103 adolescents found that the factor structure of the ASPI could be cross-validated. Internal reliability was also found to be satisfactory. The clinical sample was found to score higher on all of the ASPI scales than the normative sample. Taken together, the results of the 3 studies provide preliminary evidence that the ASPI is a psychometrically sound instrument that justifies further research. |
