Psychometric Properties of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) in Public First Responders.
Problematic alcohol consumption is prevalent among first responders because alcohol is commonly used to cope with occupational stress and frequent exposure to traumatic incidents, making them an at-risk population for alcohol use disorders (AUD). This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) among public first responders. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision (SCID), AUDIT-C, AUDIT, and CAGE were administered to 222 public first responders, who were recruited by convenience sampling. One-week test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subsample (n = 24). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and estimate the optimal cut-off scores for any AUD and alcohol dependence. Three different analytic criteria were utilized to calculate the cut-off scores. The AUDIT-C demonstrated good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability = 0.91) and satisfactory convergent validity. The areas under the ROC curves for any AUD and alcohol dependence of the AUDIT-C were 0.87 and 0.93, respectively. For any AUD, all three criteria suggested a cut-off score of 7.5 (sensitivity = 81.8%, specificity = 79.8%), whereas for alcohol dependence, a cut-off score of 8.5 (sensitivity = 85.7%, specificity = 86.1%) was derived from two criteria. In conclusion, the AUDIT-C demonstrated good reliability and validity and proved to be a brief and effective screening test for AUD among first responders.
a Department of Radiology , Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea , Incheon , South Korea.
Hyeonseok S
HS
Jeong
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Shinwon
S
Park
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|c Department of Radiology and Medical Research Institute , Ewha Womans University School of Medicine , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Soo Mee
SM
Lim
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|e Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience , Seoul National University , Seoul , South Korea.
Jiyoung
J
Ma
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Ilhyang
I
Kang
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Jungyoon
J
Kim
f Department of Psychiatry , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Eui-Jung
EJ
Kim
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Yejee J
YJ
Choi
g Central Officials Training Institute , Gwacheon , Gyeonggi-do , South Korea.
Jae-Ho
JH
Lim
a Department of Radiology , Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea , Incheon , South Korea.
Yong-An
YA
Chung
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|h Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
In Kyoon
IK
Lyoo
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Sujung
S
Yoon
b Ewha Brain Institute , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.|d Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences , Ewha Womans University , Seoul , South Korea.
Jieun E
JE
Kim
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D060731:Emergency Responders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
Alcohol use disorder; first responder; receiver operating characteristic curve; reliability; validity