title: Psychometric properties of the German version of the CRAFFT.
abstract: The CRAFFT questionnaire is a widely utilized measure of problematic alcohol and drug use. The brief screening instrument has been translated into multiple languages, and some studies regarding its psychometric properties have been published. However, investigations on the factorial validity of the CRAFFT in a clinical sample are not available yet and empirical findings on the psychometric properties of the German version of the CRAFFT are very limited.
  
  
  
  Data were collected in a German sample of 316 adolescent patients treated in emergency departments following alcohol intoxication. Problematic alcohol use was assessed using the German version of the CRAFFT. Data concerning frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption were collected. A confirmatory factor analysis using the 6 items of the CRAFFT modelled as categorical indicators of a single latent factor using a robust weighted least squares estimator was conducted. We also calculated a reliability coefficient and correlations between the CRAFFT and external criteria of alcohol use.
  
  
  
  The unidimensional model showed excellent global goodness-of-fit (χ(2)=9.76, df=8, χ(2)/df=1.22, RMSEA=0.027, CFI=0.983, TLI=0.976) and satisfying local parameters (standardized factor loadings between 0.37 and 0.69). We observed a poor reliability coefficient of 0.525. A positive association with alcohol use indicated construct validity of the German CRAFFT.
  
  
  
  Concerning its factorial and construct validity the German version of the CRAFFT is a promising instrument for measuring problematic alcohol use in clinical adolescent populations, but the reliability has definitely to be investigated again in further studies.
authors.affiliation: German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: lwartberg@uke.de.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wartberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Levente
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kriston
authors.affiliation: German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diestelkamp
authors.affiliation: German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.affiliation: German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomasius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014175:Translating
keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol; CRAFFT; Emergency department; Screening; Validity