title: Memory complaint questionnaire performed poorly as screening tool: validation against psychometric tests and affective measures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the internal and external validity of the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), a brief measure of subjective memory complaint in people with normal cognitive function.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Study of Health Outcomes in Aircraft Maintenance Personnel was a retrospective cohort study investigating the association between aircraft fuel tank deseal/reseal activities and health status in Royal Australian Air Force personnel. Cross-sectional comparison tests included measures of executive functioning, psychomotor speed, attention/working memory, new learning/memory, depression, and anxiety. An adjusted regression analysis accounted for confounders including age, dates of posting, rank, education, alcohol use, tobacco use, and affective status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight hundred seventy-nine participants completed the MAC-Q. Although the MAC-Q tested as highly reliable and internally valid, it was highly associated with affective status and was only associated with Digit Symbol Coding after adjustment for depression/anxiety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MAC-Q is greatly influenced by affective status but not memory performance. It is probably not useful as a specific screen of memory complaint for general population research.
authors: School of Psychology, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia.
authors: Meagan
authors: M
authors: Reid
authors: Lynne
authors: L
authors: Parkinson
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Gibson
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Schofield
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: D'Este
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Attia
authors: Meredith
authors: M
authors: Tavener
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Byles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic