An Adaptation and Validation of Cocaine Craving Questionnaire for Malaysians Who Use Amphetamine-Type Stimulants

Introduction: Cases of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) use have been increasing over the past decade. Cravings are considered a causal factor for recurrent relapses in ATS use cases. The absence of questionnaires measuring cravings for ATS in the local population necessitates the creation of one, especially considering the rising number of cases.
Objective: This study aimed to adapt and validate the Cocaine Cravings Questionnaire into a questionnaire suitable for measuring cravings for ATS in the local population.
Methodology: The original questionnaire was adapted by substituting “cocaine” with “ATS”. The process involved a back-to-back translation, followed by a round of face and content validation. The participants included people who use drugs (PWUD) with a history of ATS use recruited from rehabilitation centers in Malaysia. A set of questionnaires consisting of demographic items and the adapted ATS Cravings Questionnaire (ATS-CQ) were given.
Results: This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 205 PWUD, mostly single men, with a mean age of 33.32 (s.d.=13.14). The mean age of ATS initiation was 22.89 (s.d.=9.39), with a median duration of ATS use of 60 months (IQR=24.00, 120.00). The adapted questionnaire received a good score for content validation. Unlike the original, this adapted version was found to have only three factors showing good internal consistency, ranging from 0.707 to 0.918 for all three factors. Test-retest reliability also showed good results, with an interclass correlation coefficient of 0.875 (95% CI=0.835, 0.905).
Conclusion: The translated ATS-CQ has been finalized and deemed valid and reliable for use among Malaysian substance users to measure ATS cravings.

Keywords: substance use, craving, addiction, psychometric