Cross-Cultural Validity in Self-Reported Alcohol Use

Sharon R. Sznitman, Shiran Bord, Wafa Elias, Anat Gesser-Edelsburg, Yoram Shiftan, Orna Baron-Epel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background and Aim: Little evidence is available on whether respondents from divergent sociocultural populations report alcohol consumption in systematically similar ways. Therefore, this study examined whether the validity of self-reported alcohol use differed between Arab and Jewish Israeli pub patrons. Methods: The analytical sample consisted of 227 Arab and 900 Jewish Israeli pub patrons who were approached as they left pubs and asked to record their Breath Alcohol Content (BrAC) value and complete a questionnaire that probed into their alcohol use. Validity of self-reported alcohol use across the 2 groups was examined by testing the discrepancy in concordance between the self-reported number of drinks and BrAC scores through simple Pearson correlations and by performing a multi-group measurement invariance (MI) comparison. Results: The Pearson correlation between the self-reported number of drinks and BrAC by the ethno-cultural group was almost identical across groups (Jews: R = 0.47, p < 0.01, df = 898; Arabs: R = 0.42, p < 0.01, df = 225). MI test results further confirmed that the factor loadings of the 2 drinking measures are similar across the 2 ethno-cultural groups. Conclusions: Self-reported alcohol consumption gives cross-culturally valid and acceptable estimates of alcohol consumption in this sample of Israeli Arabs and Jews.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)71-76
Number of pages6
JournalEuropean Addiction Research
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Keywords

  • Breath alcohol content
  • Cross-cultural
  • Naturalistic setting
  • Self-reports
  • Validity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Health(social science)
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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