Development and preliminary validation of the young adult alcohol consequences questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
A substantial proportion of U.S. college students drink alcoholic beverages and report significant deleterious effects. The present study describes the development and initial validation of a measure designed to capture a broad range of alcohol-related consequences experienced by male and female college students.


METHODS
College students (N=340, 176 women) completed a self-report questionnaire battery consisting of information about demographic characteristics, drinking behaviors, and drinking consequences. Drinking consequences were assessed with a composite measure based on the Drinker Inventory of Consequences, the Young Adult Alcohol Problem Screening Test (YAAPST) and items developed by the researchers. To assess concurrent validity, a subset of the total sample (n=126) also completed the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI).


RESULTS
Confirmatory factor analyses supported an eight-factor solution (Social-Interpersonal Consequences, Impaired Control, Self-Perception, Self-Care, Risk Behaviors, Academic/Occupational Consequences, Physical Dependence, and Blackout Drinking), with all factors loading on a single, higher-order factor. YAACQ total scores correlated with alcohol quantity and frequency, and the RAPI. Gender comparisons suggest that the YAACQ assesses constructs of interest equally well for women and men.


CONCLUSIONS
These results offer preliminary support for this measure. Research and clinical applications include the potential to predict future problems by specific type of consequence and to offer detailed feedback about drinking consequences to students as part of a preventive intervention. As such, the YAACQ may serve as an aid in both the description of and intervention for heavy drinking in college.
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Jennifer P
JP
Department of Psychology, Park Hall, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA. jpread@buffalo.edu
Kahler
Christopher W
CW
Strong
David R
DR
Colder
Craig R
CR
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D003710:Demography; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires