Factor analysis on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Chalder Fatigue Scale sample of critical care nurses in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background

Fatigue and Sleep disturbance are common among healthcare professionals, particularly nurses working in high-acuity clinical environments. Poor sleep quality can lead to cognitive impairment, decreased work efficiency, and compromised patient care. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is widely utilized to assess sleep quality, and the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) is used to determine fatigue. However, their psychometric properties need validation within specific cultural and occupational contexts.

Aim

This study aimed to validate the PSQI and CFS among critical care nurses in Saudi Arabia through factor analysis.

Methods

An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using data from a cross-sectional study involving 173 critical care nurses in Saudi Arabia.

Results

The results of the CFS showed that the Average Variance Extracted values were 0.58 and 0.55, respectively, and all outer loadings of all items for the two components were greater than 0.5. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy for PSQI was 0.675, meeting the minimum threshold (≥0.6). Parallel analysis identified a three-factor structure, explaining 54.9% of the total variance. The total variance explained by the three components of CFS was 54.9%, which exceeded the recommended value of 50% as a general rule.

Conclusion

The PSQI and CFS demonstrated validity and reliability among Saudi Arabian critical care nurses, validating their use in assessing fatigue and sleep quality. These steps can help develop policies and interventions that enhance nurses’ health and productivity in high-acuity settings.