title: A comparison of alcohol screening instruments among under-aged drinkers treated in emergency departments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies have examined the adequacy of adult-validated alcohol screening measures when used with adolescents and young adults. A total of 103 subjects (55 males, 48 females) participated in a study of alcohol use among under-aged drinkers conducted in two emergency departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed three brief screening instruments for problematic alcohol use: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT); a modified version of the TWEAK; and the CAGE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Missing data on the TWEAK, lower internal consistency for the TWEAK and CAGE, and the better ability of the AUDIT to differentiate problem drinkers from non-problem drinkers, suggest that the AUDIT performs best in screening for problematic alcohol use among under-aged drinkers treated in emergency departments.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kinnane
authors.forename: David M C D
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors