Work

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in the United States and Sweden: Measurement Invariance of the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Commensurate measures of alcohol-related consequences across countries and cultures are critical for addressing the global burden of hazardous alcohol use. The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI), developed and validated in the United States, is a popular measure of alcohol problems. This study examined measurement invariance of the RAPI across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors. Latent mean differences in alcohol problems across countries and differences in associations between alcohol problems with alcohol use and protective behavioral strategies (PBS) were also examined. The RAPI was scalar invariant. Swedish students reported fewer problems than U.S. students (latent mean difference = −0.19, p = .047). In both samples, the RAPI was positively correlated with alcohol use frequency and quantity ( ps < .001), and negatively correlated with PBS use ( ps < .05). Overall, the RAPI demonstrated measurement invariance, and we found evidence for its validity across samples of U.S. and Swedish high school seniors.

Source: Assessment

DOI: 10.1177/10731911231195834

Authors: Frank J. Schwebel, Dylan K. Richards, Claes Andersson, Mary E. Larimer

Institutions: University of New Mexico, Malmö University, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse