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Score Reliability of Adolescent Alcohol Screening Measures: A Meta-Analytic Inquiry

NCJ Number
224205
Journal
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: 2008 Pages: 75-97
Author(s)
Alan L. Shields; Delia C. Campfield; Christopher S. Miller; Ryan T. Howell; Kimberly Wallace; Roger D. Weiss
Date Published
2008
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article synthesizes the adolescent alcohol screening literature in order to provide more comprehensive, instrument-specific reliability information for eight commonly used adolescent alcohol screening measures.
Abstract
The Personal Experience Screening Questionnaire-Problem Severity scale (PESQ-PS) was the only instrument to generate both weighted and unweighted mean and median score reliability estimates that exceeded 0.90. In addition, PESQ-PS score reliability estimates generated the smallest range (0.06) with low values at 0.90. The results suggest that the PESQ-PS tends to generate adequately reliable scores for both research and clinical purposes, even after accounting for variation in these estimates. Both the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) and the substance-use scale of the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI-SUS) achieve comparable weighted and unweighted mean and median values that approached those of the PESQ. However, the ranges of reliability estimates for each of these instruments show more variability in those estimates. Nevertheless, with low values still above the suggested 0.80 value for research purposes and respectable 95-percent confidence intervals (CIs), both the RAPI and DUSI-SUS tend to produce scores with adequate reliability for most research purposes and show promise for clinical use. Previous studies using the alcohol and drug use/abuse scale of the Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT-ADS) and Young Adult Alcohol Problem Screening Test (YAAPST) also created a pattern of statistics that allow their respective reliability estimates to be described similarly. In terms of mean and median score reliability estimates, the Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale (AAIS) achieved the lowest values. 4 tables and 64 references

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