Open AccessValidation of a multisubstance online Timeline Followback assessment
Author(s) -
MartinWillett Renée,
Helmuth Timothy,
Abraha Median,
Bryan Angela D.,
Hitchcock Leah,
Lee Kaitlyn,
Bidwell L. Cinnamon
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.1486
Subject(s) - computer science , timeline , artificial intelligence , statistics , mathematics
Objectives The Timeline Followback (TLFB) was originally developed to assess alcohol consumption patterns ( American Journal of Public Health , 86 , 1996, 966) and has been increasingly modified for Web‐based use. Additionally, new modes of substance use administration have emerged, creating a need for an adaptable TLFB tool than can capture data such as cannabis product potency or prescription drug use. Our goal was to validate an online TLFB that reliably assesses a wide range of substances in greater detail. Methods Using a within‐subjects counterbalanced design, daily substance use data were collected from 50 college students over a 14‐day retrospective period using both the traditional in‐person TLFB and online TLFB (O‐TLFB). Results All substance use variables, including detailed measures of cannabis metrics, correlated significantly ( r 's ranged from .653 to .944, p < .001) between TLFB versions. Further, results demonstrated that both the online TLFB and in‐person TLFB demonstrated concurrent validity with both the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Marijuana Dependence Scale (MDS). Conclusion Overall, the data suggest that this new O‐TLFB demonstrates strong reliability and delivers a versatile and secure tool for substance use assessment that is relevant to a variety of biomedical and psychological research contexts.