A reliability and validity analysis of an alcohol-related harm scale for surveys.
OBJECTIVE
To test reliability and construct validity of an alcohol-related harm scale widely used in North American surveys.


METHODS
Data base: three representative general population household telephone surveys in Ontario, Canada (1994: N = 2,022, response rate 63%; 1995: N = 994, response rate 63%; 1996: N = 2,721, response rate 64%).


METHODS
psychometric analysis of internal consistency (Cronbach); Mokken scaling to test homogeneity of underlying construct; tests for construct validity by measuring associations with similar scales.


RESULTS
The scale showed high internal consistency and homogeneity of the underlying construct. The correlations with the CAGE and ICD-10 criteria for dependence ranged between 0.5 and 0.7.


CONCLUSIONS
The harm scale is measuring a unidimensional construct, but one which is not distinct from that measured by the CAGE or dependence criteria.
Rehm
J
J
Clinical, Social and Evaluation Research Department, Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Frick
U
U
Bondy
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000592:standards