The factor structure of a dichotomously scored Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index.
OBJECTIVE
Heavy college-student alcohol use and its resulting negative consequences represent a public-health problem on American college campuses. The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) is a commonly used measure of alcohol problems among college students, but the psychometric properties of this measure never have been comprehensively assessed with the college-student population. The purpose of this research was to conduct reliability and validity analyses, particularly exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, on a dichotomously scored version of the measure.


METHODS
Data were collected on 4,686 undergraduate students at a large, public university in the Northwest region of the United States and 438 students at a large, public university in the Northeast.


RESULTS
Exploratory factor analysis suggested that a three-factor model provided the best fit to the data. This finding was replicated via confirmatory factor analyses in two separate samples. The three factors were labeled Abuse/Dependence Symptoms, Personal Consequences, and Social Consequences. Each individual factor demonstrated adequate internal consistency and convergent validity.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that a dichotomously scored RAPI consists of three subfactors that are reliable and valid in identifying alcohol-related problems among college students.
Martens
Matthew P
MP
Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, ED220, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA. mmartens@uamail.albany.edu
Neighbors
Clayton
C
Dams-O'Connor
Kristen
K
Lee
Christine M
CM
Larimer
Mary E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009042:Motivation; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires