Citation

Fleming MF, Barry KL. J. Subst. Abuse 1989; 1(2): 173-182.

Affiliation

Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53715.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2980868

Abstract

The psychometric properties of the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST-13), a 13-question abbreviated form of the MAST, were determined on two samples of alcoholics, with their nonalcoholic family members serving as controls. The study hypothesized that the SMAST-13 has a low specificity when used to screen family members for alcohol problems and would exhibit a low internal reliability coefficient in this population. All participants were interviewed using DSM-III criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Only family members who failed to meet these criteria were enrolled in the study. When a weighted cut-off score of 5 or more was used as a positive score for alcohol problems, the sensitivity was.98 in Sample A and.94 in Sample B. Utilizing the scores of the family members as controls, the specificity was.58 in Sample A and.70 in Sample B. The internal reliability of the SMAST-13, using Chronbach's alpha on the total sample, produced a reliability coefficient of r =.57 in Sample A and r =.62 in Sample B. To determine if the specificity of the SMAST-13 could be improved, the weighted cut-off score for a positive response was raised from 5 to 10. In Sample A, the specificity changed from.58 to.90 and the sensitivity dropped slightly from.98 to.92. In sample B, the specificity increased from.70 to.95; the sensitivity decreased from.95 to.85. Suggestions for changing the wording of two questions which explain the majority of the false positives are discussed. Epidemiological studies which have used the SMAST-13 to estimate the prevalence of alcohol problems in family members of alcoholics may need to reconsider their methods of classifying alcoholics.

Language: en