A validated Hindi version of ‘reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire’ (Hindi version of rMEQ) for chronotype assessment

The rMEQ, a popular tool for assessing chronotype/circadian preference across languages, lacks availability in Hindi, a widely spoken language. Therefore, the study aims to validate Hindi version of rMEQ in Indian adults with additional objectives to explore the prevalence and impact of chronotype on energy levels and sleep-wake behavior. It involved 605 participants aged 18-50, using the Hindi-rMEQ, with Hindi Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM-Hindi), Circadian Energy Scale (CIRENS), also recording sleep/wake times on workdays and free days. Most participants belonged to morning chronotypes (56.7%), followed by 34.2% neither type, and 9.1% evening chronotypes. The rMEQ-H demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.602) and confirmed a one-dimensional morningness construct validated through principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Positive correlations between rMEQ-H and CSM-Hindi scores validated the chronotype classifications between the two inventories. While significant negative correlations with CIRENS scores and sleep-wake times supported the effectiveness of rMEQ-H in quantifying chronotype, indicating its convergent validity.