Utilidad del cuestionario MALT (Münchner Alkoholismus Test) para el diagnóstico de alcoholismo en mujeres

Abstract

Patients identified as risk drinkers usually fill a questionnaire in order to assess their alcohol dependence. In our setting, the Münchner Alkoholismus Test (MALT) has been recommended, but there are not enough data about its validity and accuracy, particularly in women. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of this test in a female population.414 woman were recruited in a Health Center and a Specialized Center for addiction treatment. MALT test and the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) semistructured interview (gold standard; DSM-IV and CIE-10 criteria) were performed to all patients. Internal consistence, criteria validity and the most diagnostic efficacy cut-off point (ROC curves) were assessed.The MALT average (standard deviation) score of the whole sample was 3.98 (9.48) points (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.07-4.90). Cronbach alpha was 0.939 (95% CI, 0.931-0.947). With a score of 4 or more points, the test had 100% (95% CI, 98.9-100) sensitivity and 95.4% (95% CI, 95.2-95.5) specificity.The MALT test has an excellent internal reliability and extremely good diagnostic accuracy. It is very useful to detect alcohol dependence in women. A cut-off of 4 or more points is proposed.