Confirmatory factor analyses of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) among adolescents treated in emergency departments.
OBJECTIVE
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item instrument designed by the World Health Organization to assess problematic drinking. The objective of this study was to conduct confirmatory factor analysis of the AUDIT in a sample of adolescents and young adults who were treated in emergency departments.


METHODS
Adolescents and young adults (N= 103, 55 males), ranging in age from 12 to 20.9 years (mean [SD] age = 17.5 [2.1]), completed the AUDIT. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using LISREL 8.20 software to test the one-factor, two-factor and three-factor solutions for the AUDIT reported in the literature.


RESULTS
Goodness-of-fit indices indicated that a correlated two-factor solution, consisting of a consumption factor and an alcohol-related-problems factor, provides the best fit to the data. The three-factor solution fits the data equally well, but Factor 2 (dependency) and Factor 3 (problems) correlate 1.00. The one-factor solution did not provide a good fit to the data.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support those of others who have reported that the AUDIT assesses a consumption factor and an alcohol-related problems factor among primary care patients at risk for problematic drinking behavior.
Kelly
T M
TM
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. kellytm@msx.upmc.edu
Donovan
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020751:Alcohol-Induced Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires