Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2021 January, 253(1)

Optimal Cutoff Values of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and its Short Version for Detecting Excessive Alcohol Use in Japanese College Students

Kyoko Kawaida,¹ Hisashi Yoshimoto,^2,3 Go Saito⁴ and Ayumi Takayashiki⁵

¹Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
²Department of Family Medicine, General Practice and Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
³Kitaibaraki Center for Family Medicine, Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan
⁴Primary Care and Medical Education, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
⁵Department of Primary Care and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Alcohol use disorder is a serious health problem in college students. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening tool to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. AUDIT-C is a short version of AUDIT, consisting of consumption items 1-3. However, the optimal cutoff values of AUDIT and AUDIT-C for detecting excessive drinking are not available for Japanese college students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of cutoff points of AUDIT and AUDIT-C for detecting moderate drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking among Japanese college students. The cross-sectional study was based on an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. In January 2017, we sampled college students and graduate students aged 20 years or older during annual health examinations at Mie University in Japan. Two thousand students underwent health examinations, and the eligible subjects were 1,600, including 152 (9.5%) moderate drinkers, 58 (3.6%) heavy drinkers and 666 (41.6%) binge drinkers. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values for moderate drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking were 5, 8 and 5 for men and 4, 7 and 4 for women in AUDIT; and 4, 7 and 4 for men and 4, 7 and 4 for women in AUDIT-C, respectively. Moderate drinking is considered unsafe drinking. Therefore, the optimal cutoff values for moderate drinking (5 for men and 4 for women in AUDIT and 4 for both sexes in AUDIT-C) are important parameters for prevention of alcohol use disorder in Japanese college students.

Keywords —— Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT); Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C); college students; cutoff; excessive drinking

© 2021 Tohoku University Medical Press

===============================

Tohoku J. Exp. Med 2021 253, 3-10.

Correspondence: Hisashi Yoshimoto, Department of Family Medicine, General Practice and Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.

e-mail: hisashiyoshi@md.tsukuba.ac.jp