Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Revised, Short-Form Drinking Motives Questionnaire Among Firefighters

Extant research has documented elevated rates of alcohol use among the fire service. While some studies have sought to examine the role of drinking motives in firefighter alcohol use, findings are limited by a lack of exploration into the validity of established alcohol use measures among this population. The present study explored the factor structure of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the revised, short-form Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ-R-SF) among a large sample of career firefighters in the southern U.S. (N = 679). Participants were included in this secondary analysis if they reported any lifetime alcohol use and completed the measures of interest. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the established three-factor AUDIT and four-factor DMQ-R-SF. SEM results indicated that coping-motivated alcohol use was statistically significantly positively associated with each AUDIT subscale (i.e., hazardous consumption, dependence symptoms, and harmful consequences). Notably, conformity-motivated alcohol use was inversely associated with hazardous consumption. Findings underscore the importance of understanding and addressing alcohol use among firefighters, particularly drinking to cope with negative affect.