Purpose

The study aimed to validate the Arabic version of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) by (1) assessing its factor structure, (2) determining structural validity,(3) evaluating item-total and inter-item correlation, and (4) assessing its predictive validity.

Method 

The study population included 169 prison inmates, 51 patients with clinical diagnosis of substance used disorder, and 53 students (N = 273). All participants completed the selfreport version of the Arabic DUDIT. After exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency of the Arabic DUDIT was determined and external validation was performed.

Results

Principal factor analysis showed that Arabic DUDIT exhibited only one factor, which explained 66.9% of the variance. Reliability based on Cronbach's alpha was .95. When compared to the DSM-IV substance use disorder diagnosis in a clinical sample, DUDIT had an area under the curve (AUC)of .98, with a sensitivity of .98 and a specificity of .90.

Conclusion

The Arabic version of DUDIT is a valid and reliable tool for screening for drug use in Arabic-speaking countries.