Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Neurology, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea.
J Korean Med Sci. 2024 Oct 7;39(38):e257. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e257.
Chronotype refers to individual variations in diurnal preferences that manifest as everyday behaviors, including sleep patterns. Traditionally, the Horne & Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), which comprises of 19 items, has been the standard for determining chronotype. However, its length makes it cumbersome for widespread application. To address this issue, the reduced MEQ (rMEQ), a concise version containing only five items from the MEQ, was developed for a more practical approach to chronotype assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of rMEQ in a sample from the general Korean population.
The Korean version of the rMEQ comprises of items 1, 7, 10, 18, and 19 of the original MEQ. The validity of the rMEQ was assessed by correlating its scores with those of the MEQ and Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ). Its reliability was determined by calculating internal consistency.
A total of 3,030 individuals participated in the study, yielding an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4. There was a substantial positive correlation between the rMEQ and MEQ scores ( = 0.859, < 0.001). Furthermore, the rMEQ scores were significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days corrected for sleep debt as measured by the MCTQ ( = -0.388, < 0.001), indicating a robust association with chronotype. The internal consistency of rMEQ, measured using Cronbach's alpha, was 0.609.
This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.
时型是指个体在日常行为中表现出的昼夜偏好差异，包括睡眠模式。传统上，Horne 和 Östberg 的 Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire（MEQ）由 19 个项目组成，是确定时型的标准。然而，其长度使其在广泛应用时显得繁琐。为了解决这个问题，从 MEQ 中精简出包含五个项目的简化版 MEQ（rMEQ）被开发出来，以便更实际地评估时型。本研究旨在评估韩国人群中 rMEQ 的有效性和可靠性。
rMEQ 包括 MEQ 的项目 1、7、10、18 和 19。rMEQ 的有效性通过与 MEQ 和 Munich Chronotype Questionnaire（MCTQ）的得分相关来评估。其可靠性通过计算内部一致性来确定。
共有 3030 人参与了研究，平均 rMEQ 得分为 14.0 ± 3.4。rMEQ 与 MEQ 得分之间存在显著的正相关（ = 0.859， < 0.001）。此外，rMEQ 得分与 MCTQ 测量的自由日睡眠中点（校正睡眠债务后）呈显著负相关（ = -0.388， < 0.001），表明与时型有很强的关联。rMEQ 的内部一致性，使用 Cronbach's alpha 测量，为 0.609。
本研究发现韩国版 rMEQ 是评估一般人群时型的有效且可靠的工具。
