Factor structure of the modified timeline followback : a measure of alcohol-related consequences

Objective: Knowledge of the types of consequences as sessed by a given measure of alcohol-related consequences is important, as it may affect how the scores from that measure relate to individual differences and how the measure is used in treatment. This study was designed to examine the factor structure of the modified Timeline Followback (TLFB). Method: Undergraduate students (n = 573; 68.9% female) who drank alcohol at least once in the past 30 days completed an online version of the modified TLFB, a measure of alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis supported the previously proposed four-factor structure of the consequences assessed by the modified TLFB (i.e., personal, social, role functioning, and physical consequences). Internal consistency of the four categories, as assessed by deleted-item odds ratios, was good. Additionally, correlations between subscale scores and measures of alcohol use provided evidence of convergent validity, and intraclass correlations between two administration formats (online vs. in-person) indicated preliminary concurrent validity of the four factors. Conclusions: Overall, this study found support for the factor structure that was previously proposed by Norberg et al. Both the results of the confirmatory factor analysis and the deleted-item odds ratios indicate that most items fit the model well. Four items, however, could not be included in the model as a result of either low endorsement or poor fit, suggesting that further research on these items is needed.7 page(s

Gender matters: the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol-related consequences.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Identification of risk factors for alcohol-related consequences is an important public health concern. Both gender and social anxiety have been associated with alcohol-related consequences broadly, but it is unknown whether these variables are differentially related to specific types of alcohol-related consequences for American college students. METHODS: In the present study, 573 undergraduate students (M(age) = 19.86 years, SD = 1.40; range 18 to 25; 68.9% female) completed an on-line assessment of social anxiety, alcohol use, and four types of alcohol-related consequences (personal, social, physical, and role). Poisson regressions were run to examine social anxiety, gender, and the interaction between social anxiety and gender as predictors of each type of alcohol-related consequences. RESULTS: After controlling for alcohol use, social anxiety was positively associated with all four types of consequences, and females endorsed higher rates of physical, personal, and role consequences. The interaction between social anxiety and gender was statistically significant only for physical consequences, with social anxiety having a stronger effect for males. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings, which diverge somewhat from those of a prior study with Australian college students, are discussed in the context of a biopsychosocial model of social anxiety and substance use problems. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights the importance of further investigating cultural differences in the relationships among social anxiety, gender, and alcohol-related consequences

Results of poisson regressions.

<p>Note: ARCs  =  alcohol-related consequences; Quantity  =  total number of standard drinks during the 30-day period; for Gender, male was coded 0 and female was coded 1; for Social anxiety, low to moderate social anxiety was coded 0 and high social anxiety was coded 1; *** <i>p</i><0.001.</p><p>Results of poisson regressions.</p

Results of poisson regressions using the original factor structure [12].

<p>Note: ARCs  =  alcohol-related consequences; Quantity  =  total number of standard drinks during the 30-day period; for Gender, male was coded 0 and female was coded 1; for Social anxiety, low to moderate social anxiety was coded 0 and high social anxiety was coded 1; *** <i>p</i><0.001.</p><p>Results of poisson regressions using the original factor structure <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0115361#pone.0115361-Norberg2" target="_blank">[12]</a>.</p

Predicted Values for Each Type of Alcohol-related Consequences.

<p>Note: For estimation, quantity was held constant at the sample mean (<i>M</i> = 22.65).</p