Work

Adjusting for Measurement Bias in the MEEQ-B Across Sex and Race/Ethnicity in the ABCD Study

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to assess and adjust for measurement non-equivalence (bias) by sex, race/ethnicity, and co-occurring social identities (Sex × Race/Ethnicity) for the Marijuana Effect Expectancies Questionnaire-Brief (MEEQ-B) among Black, Latinx, and non-Latinx White youth. The second aim was to determine how group comparisons change after accounting for possible measurement bias. METHOD: = 0.65; 47.28% female; 15.03% Black, 22.93% Latinx, 62.04% non-Latinx White) completed the MEEQ-B. Moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) generated positive and negative expectancies factor scores accounting for non-equivalence. Analyses contrasted group differences by sex, race/ethnicity, and these co-occurring social identities using original (unadjusted) versus MNLFA-generated scores adjusted for measurement non-equivalence. RESULTS: Measurement non-equivalence was observed for positive and negative expectancies across sex, race/ethnicity, and their co-occurring social identities. MNLFA revealed between-group differences at the factor and item level. Further, comparisons of original (unadjusted) and MNLFA-generated adjusted scores revealed that unadjusted scores underestimated or did not detect some group differences in positive expectancies identified using adjusted scores, and unadjusted scores underestimated how much lower negative expectancies were in Black and Latinx relative to non-Latinx White youth. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the need for caution when interpreting scores of a measure like the MEEQ-B that has not undergone measurement equivalence testing and demonstrate how failing to adjust for non-equivalence can result in biased estimates of positive and negative expectancies, particularly when used with diverse populations.

Source: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

DOI: 10.15288/jsad.24-00201

Authors: Tammy Chung, Shawn J. Latendresse, Nicole Kennelly, Margret Z. Powell, Carolyn E. Sartor

Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers Health, Baylor University

Language: English

Topic: Psychometric Methodologies and Testing

Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities