While the factor structure was replicable across drinkers and AUD-affected groups, fit statistics were less acceptable among lifelong abstainers. To assume that an underlying construct is similar across subgroups, a scale must at a minimum exhibit the same factor configuration across groups (Horn and Mcardle 1992). Thus, comparisons of PAS in abstainers versus other groups should be interpreted with caution. Conceptions of PAS may be different for lifelong abstainers due to their lower rates of being close to persons with alcohol problems, which could magnify or alter expectations of the stigma-related experiences of AUD-affected individuals. It is also possible that reasons for lifelong abstention, such as certain religious affiliations, influence conceptions of PAS, which could be a topic for future study.
