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Family functioning, alcohol expectancies and alcohol‐related problems in a remote Aboriginal Australian community: a preliminary psychometric validation study
Author(s) -
KOWALYSZYN MARUSIA,
KELLY DRIAN B.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/0959523021000059839
Subject(s) - indigenous , psychological intervention , psychology , alcohol use disorders identification test , reliability (semiconductor) , alcohol , poison control , clinical psychology , alcohol consumption , human factors and ergonomics , exploratory factor analysis , injury prevention , social psychology , psychiatry , environmental health , medicine , psychometrics , ecology , power (physics) , physics , biochemistry , chemistry , quantum mechanics , biology
Abstract While a large proportion of Aboriginal Australians do not consume alcohol, those who do frequently show severe alcohol problems, and alcohol problems are associated with family conflict and violence. The aims were to examine the internal coherence and reliability of measures of family and alcohol measures for indigenous Australians in remote communities. This study involved 99 indigenous people from a remote North Queensland community. Questions were drawn from established questionnaires and administered verbally. Principle components factor analysis revealed three coherent and reliable measures of family conflict, independence, and cohesion. Expectancies of affective change had sound internal reliability for drinkers, and covaried with alcohol problems in the expected direction. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test had two distinct factors relating to consumption and problems, but quantity/frequency measures may have limited reliability due to the common practice among drinkers of sharing alcohol. These measures should facilitate the detection and initial assessment of alcohol and family problems, and may be useful for evaluating change in future interventions that target family and alcohol problems.