[Validation of the MALT-S questionnaire for the diagnosis of alcoholism among the adult population]. 
To validate the subjective part of the MALT questionnaire (MALT-S) for the detection of alcoholism among the adult population.  A descriptive study on the validation of a diagnostic tool.  Two primary health care centres, a centre for drug addicts and a centre for alcoholics in Cordoba (Spain).  614 patients, between 18 and 80 years.  Through personal interviews the MALT, AUDIT and SCAN questionnaires were given.  The internal reliability, stability and both the criterion and convergent validity were analysed.  The mean age of the population' was 43+/-1.43 (SD) years and 17.4% of them showed Alcohol Dependence Syndrome.  The Kappa coefficients of the test items ranged from 0.568 to 0.969.  The Cronbach alpha of the complete MALT was 0.919, of the MALT-S, 0.939 and of the MALT-O, 0.737.  The area under the ROC curve of the MALT-S was 0.946 and that of the complete MALT was 0.953.  For a cut-off point of four, the sensitivity of the MALT-S is 92.7% while its specificity was 90.9%.  The correlation coefficient of the MALT-S and AUDIT was 0.86 (P<0.001).  The MALT-S questionnaire is as valid and reliable as the complete MALT; therefore, it can be used on its own for the diagnosis of alcoholism.