Scale Analysis

The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST-8) was developed in 2000 by the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine (J.B.B., G.S.) within the Department of Family Medicine (B.L., G.S.) at the University of Western Ontario by a team of researchers led by Dr. Judith Belle Brown.

Purpose of the Scale

The purpose of developing the WAST scale is to detect physical and emotional abuse experienced by women within the context of a family or intimate relationship.

Question Calibration

The WAST consists of a total of 8 questions. Responses are given using a 3-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never or none) to 3 (many or often), which reflect the frequency or intensity of the abuse potentially experienced by the respondents.

Statistical Analysis

All WAST questions are completed by participants and summed to calculate the total score. The total score ranges from 8 to 24. The tool’s developers recommend a cutoff score of 13 to indicate the presence of abuse.

Validity and Reliability

The WAST demonstrates high internal consistency and adequate reliability. Based on a study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was found to be 0.75. The scale has been standardized in the Greek language by Vivilaki and her collaborators.

References

Authors: From the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine (J.B.B., G.S.)
(Judith Belle Brown, PhD; Barbara Lent, MD, CCFP; Gail Schmidt, MA; George Sas, MD, CCFP)
Translation: V.G. Vivilaki, V. Dafermos, Ev. Patelarou, D. Bick, Ar. Syngelaki, N.D. Tsopelas, P. Bitsios, E.T. Petridou, Al.N. Vgontzas, Chr. Lionis
Keywords: abuse