Scale Overview
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse – Age of First Use Scale (NHSDA-AFU) was developed by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (1999). It is designed to measure Age of substance use initiation. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 7 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: age = Age in years, never = Never used in my life.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.