Distribution of chronotypes in a large sample of young adult Saudis.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey without control groups
PubMed 21422657 · doi:10.4103/0256-4947.78207
What was done
A cross-sectional survey assessed chronotypes in 759 Saudi college students (540 males [71.1%], 219 females [28.9%], aged 18–32 years) using a validated abridged version of the Horne and Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQr).
What was found
Of the 759 participants, 138 (18.2%) were classified as morning-types, 417 (54.9%) as neither-types (intermediate), and 204 (26.9%) as evening-types. There were no statistically significant differences in MEQr typology between males and females. The abstract notes that morning typology frequency was somewhat higher than reported for similar age groups in some Western countries.
Why it matters
This study provides baseline descriptive data on diurnal preference patterns in a young adult Saudi population, where environmental, cultural, or social factors may influence sleep-wake preferences.
Limits
The study design is cross-sectional and relies entirely on self-reported questionnaire responses without objective circadian measurements. The sample was restricted to college students with an unequal sex distribution (71.1% male), limiting generalizability. Comparisons to Western cohorts were descriptive rather than directly tested in a controlled comparative design.
Cited by
- supports The majority of the human population has an intermediate chronotype, naturally preferring to wake up between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and go to sleep between 10:00 p.m. and midnight.