Citation

Skogen JC, Bøe T, Knudsen AK, Hysing M. Addict. Behav. 2013; 38(10): 2500-2505.

Affiliation

Alcohol and Drug Research Western Norway, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway; Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Mental Health, Department of Public Mental Health, Bergen, Norway; Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Uni Health, Uni Research, Norway. Electronic address: jens.skogen@uni.no.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.05.002

PMID

23770648

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the CRAFFT-questionnaire, and its concurrent validity with self-reported measures of alcohol consumption and illicit drug use ever among Norwegian adolescents. This study employs data from the ung@hordaland survey (N=9680). The concurrent validity of the CRAFFT-questionnaire was examined both as a case-finder with different cut-offs, but also as an ordinal scale. The ordinal scale was constructed by counting the number of affirmative responses from 0 to 6. Current self-reported excessive alcohol consumption, frequent binge drinking and any illicit drug use ever were employed as concurrent validity measures. The internal reliability of CRAFFT was adequate, and there was a linear relationship between CRAFFT-score and excessive alcohol consumption, frequent binge drinking and illicit drug use ever for both genders. Overall, this study shows a good concurrent validity and adequate psychometric properties of the CRAFFT-questionnaire. There results indicate, however, that the use of CRAFFT as a case-finder needs further research, as a suitable cut-point was difficult to determine. The authors conclude that in a clinical setting one positive answer is enough to warrant further investigation, and for research purposes the use of the questionnaire as an ordinal scale or using a cut-point of 2 might be preferable.

Language: en