Development of a scale to assess attitudes toward drinking and alcoholism

Responses from 205 subjects to a 51 -item self-report Likert scale for assessment of attitudes toward drinking and alcoholism (SAADA-I) were subjected to a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation. The resultant 29 item modified version of the scale (SAADA-II) had four factors named "Acceptance1", "Rejection", "Avoidance" and "Social dimension", and explaining 8.59%, 8.35%, 4.76% and 3.79% of the variance respectively (total variance explained 25.49%. Measures of internal consistency and stability over time both yielded overall satisfactory results. The complex, multidimensional nature of the attitudes toward drinking and alcoholism is emphasized by this study. Also, the scale, after further modifications, may be used as a sound psychometric index for measuring such attitudes especially in the care-givers, professionals and burdensharers dealing with alcohol dependent persons.