[Validating the Epworth sleepiness scale].

Objective: Validating the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS-VC) for use in Colombia .

Methods: Individuals were included who consulted sleep centres in Bogotá, Pereira and Cali ( Colombia ). Study design consisted of eight phases: a pilot study for assessing the Spanish version of the scale, translation and retro-translation of the original ESS, a pilot test for evaluating understanding (n=20), validating appearance (experts, n=18), internal consistency (n=120), validating concurrent and discriminating criteria (n=150) with parallel polysomnography, reproducibility (n=15) and sensitivity to change (n=100).

Results: ESE-VC presented suitable internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha=0,85). It identified patients suffering from severe sleepiness, according to pathology (K Wallis Chi2=19,81, p=0.003). It was clinically significant in discriminating patients according to sleep apnoea severity and abnormal sleep latency (Chi2=5,391, p=0.1453) in ways, and also in REM sleep latency (Chi2=9,015, p=0.0291). It is reproducible and sensitive to change.

Conclusions: ESS-VC compared well with the original version. It is well adapted to urban life conditions in the Colombian adult population, reliable, valid and sensitive to reported changes. It had clinically and statistically significant correlation with polysomnography.