Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-6 (DBAS-6): Data-driven shortened version from a machine learning approach.

Background: The Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS-16) is a widely used self-report instrument for identifying sleep-related cognition. However, its length can be cumbersome in clinical practice. This study aims to develop a data-driven shortened version of the DBAS-16 that efficiently predicts the DBAS-16 total score among the general population.

Methods: We collected 1000 responses to the DBAS-16 from the general population through three separate surveys, each focusing on different aspects of insomnia severity and related factors. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on the survey responses, we grouped DBAS-16 items based on response pattern similarities. The most representative item from each group, showing the highest regression performance with eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) in predicting the DBAS-16 total score, was selected to create a shortened version of the DBAS-16.

Results: Through EFA and XGBoost, we categorized the DBAS-16 items into six distinct groups. Selecting one item from each group, based on the highest coefficient of determination R values in predicting the DBAS-16 total score. After measuring the R values for all possible combinations of six items, items 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 15 were chosen, exhibiting the highest R value. Based on these six items, we developed the DBAS-6, a data-driven shortened version of the DBAS-16. The DBAS-6 exhibited outstanding predictive ability, achieving the highest R value of 0.90 for predicting the DBAS-16 total score, surpassing that of a previously developed shortened version. Notably, the DBAS-6 efficiently encapsulates the core aspects of the DBAS-16 and demonstrates robust predictive power over heterogeneous test data samples with distinct statistical characteristics from the training data.

Conclusion: With its concise format and high predictive accuracy, the DBAS-6 offers a practical tool for assessing dysfunctional beliefs about sleep in clinical settings.