Description

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) is a tool designed to assess alcohol consumption and related disorders. The AUDIT-C includes three questions that examine:
Frequency of Alcohol Consumption: How often do you consume alcohol.
Quantity of Alcohol Consumption: How many drinks do you consume on a typical day.
Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption: How often have you felt or been told that you have problems related to alcohol consumption.
Respondents answer each question using a Likert scale, indicating their level of agreement or frequency of occurrence.

Data Analysis and Usage

The analysis of data from the AUDIT-C involves quantitative techniques to assess alcohol consumption and related issues. The analysis process includes:
Descriptive Statistics:Means and Standard Deviations: Calculation of means and standard deviations for scores on each question or for the overall AUDIT-C score.
Reliability: Estimation of the internal consistency of the tool using Cronbach’s alpha to confirm the reliability of the results.
Correlations:Examination of correlations between responses to different questions to understand the relationships between frequency of alcohol consumption and related problems.
Factor Analysis:Use of factor analysis to identify key factors influencing alcohol consumption, if deemed necessary.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the AUDIT-C is to provide a reliable tool for detecting alcohol consumption and related issues. It is used for:
Research Purposes: Studying the frequency and effects of alcohol consumption across different populations.
Clinical Assessment: Detecting and evaluating individuals who may need intervention for alcohol use disorders.
Policy and Strategy: Developing strategies and policies for the prevention and intervention of alcohol use disorders.

Calibration

The calibration of the AUDIT-C involves:
Assessment of Internal Consistency: Calculation of the reliability of the tool using Cronbach’s alpha to ensure consistency of responses.
Comparative Analysis: Comparing results with data from other studies to confirm the validity and reliability of the scale.

Bibliography

Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, J. B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for Use in Primary Health Care (2nd ed.). World Health Organization.
Bush, K., Kivlahan, D. R., McDonell, M. B., Fihn, S. D., & Bradley, K. A. (1998). The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Archives of Internal Medicine, 158(16), 1789-1795.
Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Babor, T. F., de la Fuente, J. R., & Grant, M. (1993). Development of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption–II. Addiction, 88(6), 791-804.