First French Version of Children’s ChronoType Questionnaire: Cross-cultural Validation and Analysis

Cross-cultural instruments for assessing chronotype and other sleep characteristics face important methodological challenges, particularly regarding psychometric bias. These challenges are of major concern in pediatric populations, since reliable assessment of chronotype and sleep habits is essential for the early identification of children at risk of sleep disorders, as well as related somatic and mental health conditions. Accurate tools are therefore critical for promoting sleep health and preventing downstream adverse outcomes in child and adolescent populations. This challenge becomes particularly intricate in cross-cultural contexts where populations share a common language. Traditional translation and back-translation procedures often fail to capture subtle, culture-specific nuances that influence how parents and children interpret items concerning sleep routines and health-related behaviors. This study pursued two objectives: (1) to provide the first validated version of the Children’s Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ) for the French-speaking population residing in Luxembourg, and (2) to evaluate its potential applicability among French-speaking populations in other geographic settings. On one hand, factors such as latitude and daylight exposure strongly influence children’s circadian rhythms, which interact with educational schedules and cultural practices to shape sleep health. On the other hand, linguistic equivalence alone may be insufficient for capturing health-relevant aspects of children’s sleep across different contexts. The results demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (α = .70) confirming the instrument’s utility for assessing sleep-related health risks in French-speaking children in Luxembourg.