Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale: validation for use in Brazil

The aim of this study was to develop a Portuguese-language version of the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) for use in Brazil.

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.