Concurrent and Construct Validity of the Audit in an Urban Brazilian Sample

Aims: To assess the concurrent and the construct validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in an urban Brazilian sample.

Methods: A random sample of 166 clients of a health management organization, participated in this study. They were visited in their households and completed a self-report questionnaire, which included the AUDIT. Later, they answered the alcohol-related disorders (ARDs) Section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to find the best cut-off point for ICD-10 diagnosis of ARDs. Confirmatory factor analysis was run to assess the construct validity.

Results: The ROC analysis showed the same cut-off point (7/8) for ICD-10 diagnosis of ARDs found in previous studies carried out in primary care settings, including in Brazil, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 76%. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor structure. The first factor measured consumption and the second factor alcohol-related problems.

Conclusions: The results supported the use of the self-reported version of the AUDIT in epidemiologic studies, and showed a similar cut-off point for detection of ARDs and hazardous drinking.