The Validity of the Short Inventory of Problems and Drinking Intensity among Urban American Indian Adults

Abstract

Background

American Indian (AI) adults have both high prevalence rates of alcohol abstinence and alcohol use disorders compared to non-Hispanic White adults. We investigated the applicability and validity of the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP) among AI urban adults and the moderating effect of biological sex.

Methods

AI adults from three Alcoholics Anonymous samples (n = 124) provided baseline, 3-, 6- and 9-month data. Measures included Form 90 and the SIP, which includes 5 domains of alcohol-related negative consequences including interpersonal, intrapersonal, physical, impulse control and social. Drinking frequency and intensity were assessed by percent days abstinent (PDA) and drinks per drinking day (DPDD).

Results

Cronbach alphas of the SIP were similar between urban AI adults and the mainstream treatment-seeking population reported in the SIP manual. DPDD was a significant and positive predictor of all five SIP scales collected 9-months later. Higher PDA was significantly and negatively associated with later consequences, and all 5 SIP scales. Moderation tests indicated that the association between consequences and drinking intensity was stronger for AI females with fewer drinking days resulting in significantly fewer consequences for AI males relative to AI females.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the acceptability of SIP as a measure to assess drinking related consequences among AI urban adults, with clinical implications related to alcohol use and sex. Further research is warranted to examine differential drinking related outcomes among AI men and women in addition to adaptations of the SIP that more fully capture the range of negative drinking consequences.

Keywords:

• urban American Indian adults
• drinking consequences
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• psychometric testing

Declaration of interest

Kamilla Venner currently has a conflict-of-interest management plan at the University of New Mexico for delivering training on evidence-based substance use interventions.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, (T32 AA018108, PI: McCrady; R21 AA023042; PI: Tonigan; R01 AA014197, PI: Tonigan; R21 AA016974: PI: Tonigan; K01 AA028831-01, PI: Hirchak) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, (R34 DA040064, PI: Venner; 1UG1DA049468, PI of Protocol 0096: Venner; R61 DA049382; MPIs: Qeadan/Madden/Venner). The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.