Commentary
The DACL are widely used: a bibliography compiled by Lubin listed more than 500 citations by 1989, and publications have continued. The DACL are acceptable to respondents and are simple to administer. Other advantages include the existence of normative data and the alternative versions, which are useful when repeated assessments have to be made, as in longitudinal studies (21). Furthermore, Lubin has extensively studied the psychometric properties of the scales, examining issues rarely considered in other health indexes, such as response set, alternative response modes and readability (which lies between the fourth- and eighth-grade levels) (1; 12; 25; 26). Although separate lists were developed for the two sexes, this is commonly ignored. There is some evidence that the lists are not equally valid for both genders. Lists A through D appear more suitable for females, and lists E through G seem to better suit males (27).