Constructing a Scale of Hadhramout University Students' Attitudes toward Khat Chewing Using Andrich's Rating Scale Model Derived from the Rasch Model

Abstract

This study aimed to construct a scientific scale for measuring the attitudes of Hadhramout University students toward khat use, employing the Andrich Rating Scale Model derived from the Rasch Model, given the absence of a standardized Yemeni instrument developed in accordance with Item Response Theory (IRT) models. An initial 29-item scale was developed using a five-point Likert format and administered to a sample of male students only, totaling 265 participants. Of these, 44 students were excluded for misfit with the model, yielding a final analytical sample of 221 students. The scale's validity and reliability were verified, and the data were analyzed using the WINSTEPS program. The results confirmed that the assumptions of the Rasch Model were satisfied. Eleven misfitting items were removed, resulting in a final scale of 18 items demonstrating sound psychometric properties. The item reliability coefficient reached 0.93, and the person reliability coefficient reached 0.92, as estimated under the Andrich Rating Scale Model—indicating a high degree of measurement reliability for the scale. The study concluded that the developed scale constitutes a valid and effective instrument for detecting students' attitudes toward khat use, and that it can be utilized in designing preventive and counseling programs, as well as in future research addressing this phenomenon.