The development of a Cannabis Knowledge Assessment Tool (CKAT)

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Education
• Cannabis Research

Background:

• Prevalent misconceptions about cannabis health risks necessitate improved public health messaging.
• Assessing educational program effectiveness requires standardized knowledge measurement tools.
• Cannabis legalization increases the need for accurate public understanding of its effects and risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a standardized questionnaire for measuring cannabis knowledge.
• To create a tool adaptable for use in educational settings.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a cannabis education program.

Main Methods:

• The Cannabis Knowledge Assessment Tool (CKAT) was developed using the Delphi method with diverse expert input.
• Principal component analysis informed the development of 64 items across 3 domains: individual effects, general information, and harm reduction.
• The CKAT was administered as a pre- and post-test to 132 students in grades 7 and 9 in Canada.

Main Results:

• The final CKAT consists of 16 multiple-true-false questions, suitable for a 6th-7th grade reading level.
• Student knowledge scores significantly increased from baseline (46.2) to post-program (50.7) after the educational intervention (p<0.05).
• The study demonstrated a positive impact of the cannabis education program on student knowledge.

Conclusions:

• A novel tool, the Cannabis Knowledge Assessment Tool (CKAT), was successfully developed and piloted.
• The CKAT shows promise for measuring cannabis knowledge in adolescent populations.
• Further research is needed to validate the CKAT's usability and effectiveness in diverse contexts.