Reliability of a brief scale for assessment of coronary-prone behavior and standard measures of type A behavior

45 male volunteers were classified by the Structured Interview for Type A behavior and also by the Jenkins Activity Survey. Each subject also responded to a series of 10 questions taken from the Milwaukee Cardiovascular Life Quality Questionnaire. 10 items of the questionnaire were tested to form a scale, the Milwaukee questionnaire--10 for the classification of Type A and B coronary-prone behavior. Each response was rated as one if it was in the previously defined direction of Type A or as zero if in Type B direction. The mean response in this population was 3.56. Subjects scoring 0 to 3 were then classified as Type B and those scoring 4 and more as Type A. Subjects were also given two standard measures of Type A behavior, the Jenkins survey and the structured interview. Comparisons of Type A vs B classes were made between the Milwaukee questionnaire and the interview and the Jenkins survey. High agreement rating Type A behavior was found among instruments. The 10 items appear to provide a reliable and brief scale for rating Type A coronary-prone behavior.