Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

• Begin the AUDIT by saying “Now I am going to ask you some questions about your use of alcoholic drinks during this past year.”
• Read the questions as written. Record answers carefully.
• Explain what is meant by “alcoholic drinks” by using local examples of beer, wine, vodka, etc.
• Code answers in terms of “standard drinks”. Select the correct answer number in the box on the right.¹

The AUDIT-C is a shortened version of the above using the first 3 questions only.^3,4,5
Using a cut off ≥4 the Audit-C has a sensitivity of 86% of patients with heavy drinking and/or active alcohol abuse or dependence with a specificity of 72%. Using a cutoff of ≥3, AUDIT-C identifies 90% of patients with active alcohol abuse or dependence and 98% of patients with heavy drinking, (specificity was only 60%, false-positive rate 40%). ³

It is recommended a score of ≥3 or more points on the AUDIT-C, or a report of drinking 6 or more drinks on one occasion ever in the last year, should lead to a more detailed assessment of drinking and related problems.³

The document from which a calculator may be derived is ©World Health Organization 2001.¹ The Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, World Health Organization, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. The WHO allows its document to be "freely reviewed, abstracted, reproduced, and translated, in part or in whole but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes".

1. The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) questionnaire, World Health Organisation
2. Saunders JB, Aasland OG, Babor TF, et al; Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO Collaborative Project on Early Detection of Persons with Harmful Alcohol Consumption--II. Addiction. 1993 Jun;88(6):791-804. [abstract]
3. Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, et al; The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project (ACQUIP). Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Arch Intern Med. 1998 Sep 14;158(16):1789-95. [abstract]
4. Bradley KA, DeBenedetti AF, Volk RJ, et al; AUDIT-C as a brief screen for alcohol misuse in primary care. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jul;31(7):1208-17. Epub 2007 Apr 19. [abstract]
5. Primary Care Alcohol Information Service - Factsheet