Validation of the AUDIT and AUDIT-C for Hazardous Drinking in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Yannic van Gils, Erik Franck, Eva Dierckx, Sebastiaan P. J. van Alphen, John B. Saunders and Geert Dom
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Yannic van Gils: Faculty of Medicine and Social Science, Centre for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Erik Franck: Faculty of Medicine and Social Science, Centre for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
Eva Dierckx: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium
Sebastiaan P. J. van Alphen: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium
John B. Saunders: National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Geert Dom: Faculty of Medicine and Social Science, Centre for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-10

Abstract: Background: One of the best-known tools in screening for hazardous drinking is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its abbreviated form, the AUDIT-C. The aim of the present study is to determine the cut-offs of both instruments in identifying hazardous drinking in older adults. Method: A sample of 1577 older adults completed a questionnaire regarding alcohol behavior. Hazardous drinking was defined as drinking >10 units/week. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves of AUDIT and AUDIT-C were calculated and cut-off scores were derived. Results: Respectively 27.3% and 12.3% of older men and women drank >10 units/week. For the AUDIT the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was using a cut-off of ?5 for men and ?4 for women, which yielded in men sensitivity and specificity values respectively of 80.7% and 81.3% and in women 100% and 71.7%, respectively. We found the AUDIT-C to perform well with an optimal cut-off of ?5 for men and ?4 for women, which generated in men sensitivity and specificity values respectively of 76.5% and 85.3% and in women 100% and 74.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The AUDIT-C is accurate and sufficient in screening for hazardous drinking in community-dwelling older adults if the cut-offs are tailored by gender.

Keywords: older adults; hazardous drinking; AUDIT; AUDIT-C; validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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