title: Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale: validation for use in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to develop a Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) for use in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The steps involved in creating the ESS in Brazilian Portuguese (ESS-BR) were as follows: translation; back-translation; comparison (by a committee) between the translation and the back-translation; and testing in bilingual individuals. The ESS-BR was applied to a group of patients who were submitted to overnight polysomnography in order to identify obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), insomnia and primary snoring. A control group was composed of subjects with a history of normal sleep habits, without reported snoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 114 patients and 21 controls were included. The 8-item scores of the ESS-BR had an overall reliability coefficient of 0.83. The study group was composed of 59 patients with OSAHS, 34 patients with primary snoring and 21 patients with insomnia. One-way ANOVA demonstrated significant differences in ESS-BR scores among the four diagnostic groups (p < 0.001). Post-hoc tests between groups showed that the ESS-BR scores of the patients with insomnia did not differ from those of the controls (p > 0.05). The ESS-BR scores were significantly higher for OSAHS patients and for primary snorers than for controls (p < 0.05). In addition, the scores for OSAHS patients were significantly higher than were those for primary snorers (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study demonstrate that the ESS-BR is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of daytime sleepiness, equivalent to its original version when applied to individuals who speak Brazilian Portuguese.
authors.affiliation: Santa Maria University Hospital, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil. alessa.bertolazzi@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Alessandra Naimaier
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bertolazi
authors.forename: Simone Chaves
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fagondes
authors.forename: Leonardo Santos
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: Vinícius Dallagasperina
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Pedro
authors.forename: Sérgio Saldanha
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Menna Barreto
authors.forename: Murray W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Johns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012913:Snoring / Q000175:diagnosis; D014175:Translating; D055815:Young Adult