The 5-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-5): An Effective Brief Screening Test for Problem Drinking, Alcohol Use Disorders and Alcohol Dependence

Abstract Background Studies suggest that alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders have distinct genetic backgrounds. Methods We examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) for consumption and problem subscales of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C, AUDIT-P) in the UK Biobank (UKB; N = 121 630) correlate with alcohol outcomes in four independent samples: an ascertained cohort, the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA; N = 6850), and population-based cohorts: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 5911), Generation Scotland (GS; N = 17 461), and an independent subset of UKB (N = 245 947). Regression models and survival analyses tested whether the PRS were associated with the alcohol-related outcomes. Results In COGA, AUDIT-P PRS was associated with alcohol dependence, AUD symptom count, maximum drinks (R2 = 0.47–0.68%, p = 2.0 × 10−8–1.0 × 10−10), and increased likelihood of onset of alcohol dependence (hazard ratio = 1.15, p = 4.7 × 10−8); AUDIT-C PRS was not an independent predictor of any phenotype. In ALSPAC, the AUDIT-C PRS was associated with alcohol dependence (R2 = 0.96%, p = 4.8 × 10−6). In GS, AUDIT-C PRS was a better predictor of weekly alcohol use (R2 = 0.27%, p = 5.5 × 10−11), while AUDIT-P PRS was more associated with problem drinking (R2 = 0.40%, p = 9.0 × 10−7). Lastly, AUDIT-P PRS was associated with ICD-based alcohol-related disorders in the UKB subset (R2 = 0.18%, p < 2.0 × 10−16). Conclusions AUDIT-P PRS was associated with a range of alcohol-related phenotypes across population-based and ascertained cohorts, while AUDIT-C PRS showed less utility in the ascertained cohort. We show that AUDIT-P is genetically correlated with both use and misuse and demonstrate the influence of ascertainment schemes on PRS analyses.

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Validation of an Online Version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) for Alcohol Screening in Spanish University Students

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105213 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5213

Author(s):

Laura Ballester ◽

Itxaso Alayo ◽

Gemma Vilagut ◽

José Almenara ◽

Ana Cebrià ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

University Students ◽

Alcohol Dependence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Alcohol Screening ◽

Online Version ◽

Timeline Followback ◽

Identification Test

Online alcohol screening may be helpful in preventing alcohol use disorders. We assessed psychometric properties of an online version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among Spanish university students. We used a longitudinal online survey (the UNIVERSAL project) of first-year students (18–24 years old) in five universities, including the AUDIT, as part of the WHO World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative. A reappraisal interview was carried out with the Timeline Followback (TLFB) for alcohol consumption categories and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for alcohol use disorder. Reliability, construct validity and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. Results: 287 students (75% women) completed the MINI, of whom 242 also completed the TLFB. AUDIT’s Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82. The confirmatory factor analysis for the one-factor solution of the AUDIT showed a good fit to the data. Significant AUDIT score differences were observed by TLFB categories and by MINI disorders. Areas under the curve (AUC) were very large for dependence (AUC = 0.96) and adequate for consumption categories (AUC > 0.7). AUDIT cut-off points of 6/8 (women/men) for moderate-risk drinking and 13 for alcohol dependence showed sensitivity/specificity of 76.2%/78.9% and 56%/97.5%, respectively. The online version of the AUDIT is useful for detecting alcohol consumption categories and alcohol dependence in Spanish university students.

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Audit cut-off point at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10: which is more informative?

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)71837-5 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 126-126

Author(s):

M.O. Welcome ◽

V.A. Pereverzev

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

University Students ◽

Problem Drinking ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

Alcohol Problems ◽

Identification Test ◽

Positive Score ◽

The Given

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores actually vary from place to place for many reasons. The traditional/cultural/ethnic, as well as gender peculiarities of alcohol problems in the given population may affect the AUDIT cut-off recommendation. Most studies have used a cut-off point of 8, others have suggested lower or higher cut-offs. Cut-off points between 5 and 8 and/or 9 and 10 have been suggested for problem drinking. How the AUDIT cut-off point varies from study to study is somewhat misleading as validation results actually show a lower AUDIT cut-off as compared to the recommended one. In this study we analyzed the various scores (0*ndash;40) of the AUDIT using psychophysiological parameters among a sample of university students in Belarus. The statistical value for significance was set at p < 0.05. This study reveals that the AUDIT cut-off which was highly informative for problem drinking among the males is 8 and above. For the females, any positive score (i.e. from 1 through 10) on the AUDIT was highly informative for problem drinking. Hence, any positive score on the AUDIT for a female and 8 for the males needs specific attention and therapeutic confirmation with additional consultation.

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