A total of 3,030 individuals yielded an average rMEQ score of 14.0 ± 3.4.
The Korean version of the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ) shows a substantial positive correlation with the standard MEQ scores (r = 0.859, p < 0.001).
rMEQ scores are significantly negatively correlated with the midpoint of sleep on free days adjusted for sleep debt, indicating a strong association with (r = -0.388, p < 0.001).
The internal consistency of the rMEQ, as measured by , is 0.609.
The rMEQ may serve as a valid and reliable tool for assessing chronotype in the general Korean population.
Simplified
BACKGROUND: 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.
METHODS: 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.
RESULTS: 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 , was 0.609. r P r P
CONCLUSION: This study finds the Korean version of the rMEQ to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing chronotype in the general population.
Key numbers
0.859
rMEQ Score Correlation
Correlation between rMEQ and MEQ scores
0.609
Internal Consistency
for the rMEQ
-0.388
Negative Correlation with Sleep Midpoint
Correlation with midpoint of sleep on free days
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The authors declare the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: MKC was a site investigator for a multicenter trial sponsored by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Allergan Korea, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company. He has received lecture honoraria from Eli Lilly and Company, Handok-Teva, and Ildong Pharmaceutical Company over the past 24 months. He received grants from the Yonsei University College of Medicine (6-2021-0229) and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (HV22C0106) and a National Research Foundation of Korea grant from the Korean Government (MSIT;2022R1A2C1091767). The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.
