The reliability and validity of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) with young adult Latino workers: implications for tobacco and alcohol disparity research.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) in both English and Spanish with Latinos, the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, and the correlation between sensation seeking and tobacco and alcohol use.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey, computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI).


METHODS
Dallas and Houston, Texas.


METHODS
A total of 789 Latinos participated in this study. Participants were currently in the work-force, not enrolled in college, and between the ages of 18 and 30 years.


METHODS
Participants completed a self-report questionnaire (in either English or Spanish) consisting of items measuring tobacco and alcohol use as well as the eight-item Brief Sensation Seeking Scale.


CONCLUSIONS
For English-speaking Latino participants, the BSSS factor structure was second-order unidimensional and correlated positively with life-time cigarette use, intention to smoke in the future and amount and frequency of alcohol consumption. For Spanish-speaking Latino participants, a four-subfactor solution for the BSSS provided the best fit to the data although correlations between the four subscales and cigarette use were small.
Stephenson
Michael T
MT
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4234, USA. mstephenson@tamu.edu
Velez
Luis F
LF
Chalela
Patricia
P
Ramirez
Amelie
A
Hoyle
Rick H
RH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*