Cross-cultural examination of negative alcohol-related consequences: Measurement invariance of the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire in Spain, Argentina, and USA

BRAVO, ADRIAN J.; READ, JENNIFER P.; ORTET, GENERÓS; PILATTI, ANGELINA; MEZQUITA, LAURA; PEARSON, MATTHEW R.; M I IBAÑEZ

Psychological Assessment

American Psychological Association

Año: 2019 p. 631 - 642

1040-3590

The present study examined measurement invariance of the 48-item, 8-factor, Young Adult AlcoholConsequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) across nationality in college students from the UnitedStates, Spain, and Argentina. We also compared latent mean differences and criterion-relatedvalidity (i.e., correlation with other alcohol-related outcomes) across countries. Last month drinkers(1,511) from the United States (n 774, 70.5% female), Argentina (n 439, 50.6% female), andSpain (n 298, 72.1% female) completed an online survey measuring alcohol use, drinking motives,college alcohol beliefs, and negative alcohol-related consequences. Multigroup confirmatory factoranalyses supported configural and scalar invariance of a 47-item, 8-factor YAACQ across countries.Overall, the correlation analysis supported criterion-related validity (i.e., strong bivariate correlations between the 8 subscales and alcohol consumption, drinking motives and college alcoholbeliefs) across countries. Some nonsignificant bivariate correlations and differences in the magnitude of the correlations across countries are discussed. Our findings expand previous work, mostlyfocused on U.S. samples, by supporting the YAACQ as an adequate measure to assess alcoholrelated consequences in youths across countries marked by unique cultural traditions, attitudes, andpolicies pertaining to alcohol