Abstract
Abstract:
Theoretical background: Literature on sleep problems among migrant workers is abundant. However, less attention has been paid to investigating sleep-disorder symptoms among left-behind children and adolescents – despite evidence indicating the latter’s vulnerability to various mental health issues. Furthermore, many existing instruments for assessing sleep disorders measure only the frequency of symptoms or the intensity of sleep disturbance.
Objective: The present study addresses these gaps by 1) examining the latent factor structure of the newly developed Sleep Disorder Symptom Severity Inventory (SDSSI) among left-behind children and adolescents from the Philippines; 2) evaluating the necessity of using frequency or intensity formats by comparing differences in the latent level; and 3) investigating the SDSSI’s latent classification.
Method: Filipino left-behind children and adolescents ( N = 396) responded to the online survey. Results: Findings from confirmatory factor analyses (one-factor 16 SDSSI, two-factor frequency and intensity SDSSI, and one-factor 8-item summed frequency and intensity SDSSI) supported the SDSSI’s two-factor structure as the best-fitting model. The SDSSI displayed good psychometric properties (reliability, criterion-related validity), and latent-class analysis revealed the three-class solution as optimal.
Discussion and conclusion: Overall, the study provides support for SDSSI as a viable instrument to measure both the intensity and frequency of sleep-disorder symptoms among left-behind children and adolescents with migrant worker parents.
Theoretical background: Literature on sleep problems among migrant workers is abundant. However, less attention has been paid to investigating sleep-disorder symptoms among left-behind children and adolescents – despite evidence indicating the latter’s vulnerability to various mental health issues. Furthermore, many existing instruments for assessing sleep disorders measure only the frequency of symptoms or the intensity of sleep disturbance.
Objective: The present study addresses these gaps by 1) examining the latent factor structure of the newly developed Sleep Disorder Symptom Severity Inventory (SDSSI) among left-behind children and adolescents from the Philippines; 2) evaluating the necessity of using frequency or intensity formats by comparing differences in the latent level; and 3) investigating the SDSSI’s latent classification.
Method: Filipino left-behind children and adolescents ( N = 396) responded to the online survey. Results: Findings from confirmatory factor analyses (one-factor 16 SDSSI, two-factor frequency and intensity SDSSI, and one-factor 8-item summed frequency and intensity SDSSI) supported the SDSSI’s two-factor structure as the best-fitting model. The SDSSI displayed good psychometric properties (reliability, criterion-related validity), and latent-class analysis revealed the three-class solution as optimal.
Discussion and conclusion: Overall, the study provides support for SDSSI as a viable instrument to measure both the intensity and frequency of sleep-disorder symptoms among left-behind children and adolescents with migrant worker parents.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Kindheit und Entwicklung |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 26 Jun 2025 |
User-Defined Keywords
- sleep disorder symptoms
- factor structure
- latent class analysis
- measurement invariance
- left-behind children and adolescents
- Schlafstörungssymptome
- Faktorenstruktur
- latente Klassenanalyse
- zurückgebliebene Kinder und Heranwachsende
