Spanish adaptation of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) in the adult and children-adolescent versions

Abstract

Introduction. In 1984, Rosenthal et al described the seasonal affective disorder as a cyclic pattern of depressive episodes appearing in autumn and winter, showing atypical symptoms as hypersomnia, overeating, and carbohydrate craving. They also introduced the self-applied Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, which includes a seasonality index. A children and adolescent version was also introduced later too. In this paper the test retest reliability and internal consistency of both the adult and the children and adolescent SPQA version are presented.

Methods: 30 adults y 30 adolescents filled out the corresponding questionnaires in an interval of one week. Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients were applied. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach alpha.

Results. The adult version obtained coefficients between 0.47 y 0.81, and a Cronbach alpha of 0.85 for the seasonality index. The children and adolescent version included several items with low reliability, which were then rewritten. The renewed version was tested again in a new 30 subjects sample. Coefficients ranged from 0.50 to 0.83, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.69 for the seasonality index.

Conclusions. The Spanish version of the SPAQ (Both Adult and Children-Adolescent) showed good reliability values and also appropriate internal consistency coefficients. Therefore, they are ready to be used in clinical and epidemiological research.