SEX-DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE STYLE TO 2 SELF-REPORT SCREENING-TESTS ONALCOHOLISM

The revised Malmo modification of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Te st (Mm-MAST) of 10 items including all four CAGE (an acronym for Cut d own, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) items and one item on total sobriety was used in a health screening of a total birth-year cohort in Malmo. Seventy-two percent of the female and 68% of the male population part icipated. Nine hundred and eleven women and 911 men were included in t he study population. The revised Mm-MAST yielded a higher proportion o f scores indicative of problem drinking than the CAGE in both sexes; 4 % of the women and 17% of the men bad positive Mm-MAST scores (greater -than-or-equal-to 3 yes-answers). Rates of positive CAGE scores (great er-than-or-equal-to 2 yes-answers) were 1% and 7%, respectively. Frequ encies of problem drinking in the Mm-MAST and CAGE positive scorers, r espectively were similar for both women and men. The reliability of th e revised Mm-MAST was better in the male population producing a Cronba ch's alpha coefficient of 0.69 compared with 0.58 in the female popula tion. In men the four CAGE items had the highest item-total scale corr elations, which was found in only one CAGE item in women. We suggest t hat the revised Mm-MAST is a better screening instrument than the CAGE in both sexes. Nevertheless the reliability of the total revised Mm-M AST was poorer in women and the need for a female oriented alcohol que stionnaire is promoted.