Monitoring the Future Survey / Disapproval of Drug Use [MTFSDODU-16]

Brief Description

The Monitoring the Future Survey / Disapproval of Drug Use (MTFSDODU-16) is a scale used to assess the degree of disapproval toward different forms of substance use. The instrument is associated with the Monitoring the Future program and is attributed to Johnston, O’Malley, and Bachman.

The scale consists of 16 items addressing attitudes toward different patterns of tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, crack, alcohol, inhalant, and heroin use.

Rather than focusing only on whether a substance is used, the instrument also distinguishes between different levels or patterns of use, such as trying a substance once or twice, occasional use, and regular use.

Aim

The main aim of the MTFSDODU-16 is to assess attitudes of disapproval toward different types and patterns of substance use.

Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they disapprove of people engaging in specific substance-use behaviors.

In this way, the instrument provides a structured measure of personal or social attitudes toward substance use and may be used to examine differences between individuals or groups.

Content of the Scale

The 16 items address behaviors involving:

Cigarette smoking: smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day.

Smokeless tobacco: regular use of smokeless tobacco.

Marijuana: trying marijuana once or twice, occasional use, and regular use.

Powder cocaine: trying it once or twice and occasional use.

Crack cocaine: trying it once or twice and occasional use.

Alcohol: trying one or two alcoholic drinks, consuming one or two drinks almost every day, and consuming five or more drinks once or twice each weekend.

Inhalants: sniffing glue, gases, or sprays once or twice or on a regular basis.

Heroin: trying or occasionally using heroin without using a needle.

Response Options

For each behavior, respondents select one of the following response categories:

Don’t disapprove
Disapprove
Strongly disapprove
Can’t say / Drug unfamiliar to me

The provided source does not specify a numerical coding system, total score calculation, reverse-scored items, or interpretation cut-offs. Therefore, these details cannot be established from the available material.

Applications

The MTFSDODU-16 may be used in research examining attitudes toward substance use, particularly when distinctions between substance type and frequency or pattern of use are important.

The instrument may also be useful for comparing different populations or for examining relationships between disapproval of substance use and other social or behavioral variables.

According to the source material, the instrument is included in the Core Measures Initiative Phase I Recommendations of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

Reference

Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., & Bachman, J. G. (2001). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2001: Volume 1, Secondary School Students 2000 (NIH Publication No. 01-4924). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.