Developing a tool to measure substance use and the associated factors among children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background There are insufficient accurate data on the prevalence of substance use among children in Iran. WHO is conducting a survey to study the prevalence of substance use among children in Iran. This manuscript describes the method that was used for developing the tools for the aforementioned survey. Methods A literature review was done on the risk factors, existing scales, and special considerations in conducting a substance use survey on children. The identified risk factors were then prioritized, and standard scales were selected for each. Based on the priority and the cultural and psychosocial properties of each age group, the methods of the survey were defined. Then, a qualitative assessment on content validity was done, and the tool was piloted among 90 participants. Results The tool contained 104 items for the 9- to 12-year-olds age group, and 168 items for each of the 12- to 15-year-olds and 15- to 18-year-olds age groups, respectively. The results of the Cronbach’s Alpha analysis showed a coefficient of 0.754 for the 9- to 12-year-olds age group, 0.735 for 12- to 15-year-olds, and 0.889 for the 15- to 18-year-olds. Conclusion The developed tool considered socio-cultural acceptability, cognitive, and ethical standards and showed high reliability and validity.