<p>Increasing evidence shows nonrestorative sleep
(NRS) is a symptom of sleep, health, or psychiatric problem. It has been
frequently reported in people with physical and psychological health issues but
may not co-morbid with other sleep disorders. Around 8% of Hong Kong Chinese
adults experienced NRS. However, there had been no standardized instrument for
measuring NRS in Chinese populations, and the associated factors and potential
impact have not been well studied. Therefore, this study aimed to (1)
culturally adapt the Nonrestorative Sleep Scale (NRSS) in Chinese populations;
(2) identify its associated factors; (3) examine its association with
health-related quality of life; and (4) shorten the NRSS.</p>
<p>In accordance with international standards, I
performed the linguistic and psychometric evaluation of the traditional Chinese
NRSS with 120 participants. I have shown that the Chinese NRSS was essentially
unidimensional and was reliable and valid for assessing NRS. The root mean
square error of approximation (RMSEA), standardized root mean square residual
(SRMR), and comparative fit index (CFI) of the bifactor confirmatory factor
analysis (CFA) model were 0.06, 0.06, and 0.97, respectively. Convergent
validity was demonstrated by the significant correlations with sleep quality (r
= −0.66), insomnia (r = −0.65), depression (r = −0.54), and alertness (r =
0.68). </p>
<p>The simplified Chinese NRSS was also culturally
adapted. An exploratory factor analysis of 231 adolescents revealed a
four-factor structure. The structure was confirmed in a CFA on another 250
adolescents with the RMSEA, SRMR, and CFI as 0.062, 0.051, and 0.975,
respectively. Convergent validity was demonstrated by the significant
correlations with sleep quality (r = −0.62), insomnia (r = −0.71), depression
(r = −0.60), and alertness (r = 0.54). Also, multigroup CFA models concluded
measurement invariance across genders. The internal consistency and test-retest
reliability were 0.83 and 0.86, respectively. </p>
<p>In 500 Hong Kong Chinese adults recruited from a
territory-wide household survey, the average NRS level was 64.77 on the 0–100
scale. People who had better NRS were those with more family income (b = 0.52),
exercise (b = 1.19), and social support (b = 0.73) but had less somatic
symptoms (b = −1.02), depression (b = −0.58), stress (b = −0.76), and noise
sensitivity (b = −0.08). </p>
<p>Furthermore, I have found that every unit increase
in NRSS was significantly associated with 0.12 and 0.09 units increase in the
physical and mental component scores, respectively, of the Short Form-12 Health
Survey version 2.</p>
<p>Lastly, I used the currently best approach of the optimal
test assembly (OTA) to obtain a 9-item traditional Chinese NRSS. The 9-item
scale showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.819) and
convergent validity by association with sleep quality (r = −0.59). The short
form retained 92% of the test information of the original scale.</p>
Conclusively, the12-item and 9-item Chinese NRSS are reliable and valid
for NRS assessment. Moreover, interventions incorporating exercise and social
support and a remedy for somatic symptoms, stress, depression, and noise
sensitivity are desirable. Such interventions would benefit NRS and improve
health-related quality of life.