title: Diagnostic efficiency of the AUDIT-C in U.S. veterans with military service since September 11, 2001.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol screening with the 3-item alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-C) has been implemented throughout the U.S. Veterans Health Administration. Validation of the AUDIT-C, however, has been conducted with samples of primarily older veterans. This study examined the diagnostic efficiency of the AUDIT-C in a younger cohort of veterans who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Veteran participants (N=1775) completed the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and underwent the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV-TR for Axis I disorders (SCID) in research settings within four VA medical Centers. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) measured the effiency of the full AUDIT and AUDIT-C in identifying SCID-based diagnoses of past year alcohol abuse or dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both measures performed well in detecting alcohol use disorders. In the full sample, the AUDIT had a better AUC (.908; .881-.935) than the AUDIT-C (.859; .826-.893; p<.0001). It is notable that this same result was found among men but not women, perhaps due to reduced power. Diagnostic efficiency statistics for the AUDIT and AUDIT-C were consistent with results from older veteran samples. The diagnostic efficiency of both measures did not vary with race or age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the AUDIT and AUDIT-C appear to be valid instruments for identifying alcohol abuse or dependence among the most recent cohort of U.S. veterans with service during OEF/OIF within research settings.
authors: Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, United States.
authors: Eric F
authors: EF
authors: Crawford
authors: Jessica J
authors: JJ
authors: Fulton
authors: Cindy M
authors: CM
authors: Swinkels
authors: Jean C
authors: JC
authors: Beckham
authors: Patrick S
authors: PS
authors: Calhoun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol use disorders; Alcohol use disorders identification test; Diagnostic efficiency; Military veterans; OEF/OIF