Negative marijuana‐related consequences among college students in five countries: measurement invariance of the Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire

Abstract

Background and aims: The 21‐item Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire (B‐MACQ) has been shown to be a valid measure to assess negative marijuana‐related consequences among US college students. The present study aimed to: (a) examine measurement invariance of the B‐MACQ among college student marijuana users in five countries, (b) evaluate latent mean differences on the B‐MACQ as a function of sex and country if invariance is met and (c) compare criterion‐related validity across different countries and sex.

Design: Instrumental study.

Setting: Argentina, the Netherlands, Spain, Uruguay and United States.

Participants: A subsample of last‐month marijuana users who completed the B‐MACQ (n = 1145; 62.9% female).

Measurements: The B‐MACQ, several dimensions of marijuana use and perceptions of marijuana use.

Findings: Results supported configural and scalar invariance (all ΔCFI/TLI ≤ 0.01; ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015) of a 20‐item B‐MACQ across sex and four countries (the Netherlands being the exception). In examining latent mean differences, Spanish students reported a higher number of consequences than US (P < 0.001) and Argentinian students (P = 0.003). In examining criterion‐related validity, marijuana use indicators (0.01 < rs < 0.64), descriptive norms (0.04 < rs < 0.49) and injunctive norms for best friend (0.06 < rs < 0.28) largely had small‐to‐moderate positive correlations with negative marijuana‐related consequences.

Conclusions: The 20‐item B‐MACQ accurately assesses marijuana‐related negative consequences among male and female college student marijuana users across the United States, Argentina, Spain and Uruguay. The B‐MACQ could be used effectively to identify marijuana‐related consequences in college students from different countries or cultures.