TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Development and initial validation of the alcohol-induced blackout measure
JO  - Addictive behaviors
A1  - Miller, Mary Beth
A1  - Dibello, Angelo M.
A1  - Merrill, Jennifer E.
A1  - Carey, Kate B.
SP  - e106079
EP  - e106079
VL  - 99
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: Blackouts are common among young adults and predict alcohol-related harm. However, existing measures do not capture the range of alcohol-induced memory impairment involved in blackout experiences and do not differentiate between fragmentary and en bloc blackouts. This study aimed to develop and validate a brief, reliable measure of alcohol-induced blackouts among young adults. <br><br>METHODS: College students reporting alcohol-induced memory impairment in the past year were recruited via Qualtrics to participate in an online survey (N = 350, 56% female). A subsample (n = 109, 67% female) completed a one-month follow-up. Principal component analysis was used to determine the structure of the Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure (ABOM), which was designed to reflect two components (fragmentary and en bloc blackouts). The reliability and validity of the total ABOM score was assessed. <br><br>RESULTS: The final five items fit in a two-component scale structure; however, a single principal component accounted for 73% of variance in blackout items, all of which demonstrated high component loadings and communalities. The total blackout score demonstrated strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and incremental validity. ABOM scores predicted alcohol-related consequences at baseline and one-month follow-up. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The ABOM is a brief and reliable, self-report measure that quantifies the frequency of a range of blackout experiences in the past 30 days. Accounting for this range of experiences improved predictive validity over single-item blackout measures. Blackout frequency is a strong, unique predictor of alcohol-related problems.<br><br>Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0306-4603
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106079
ID  - ref1
ER  -