THE ALCOHOL-USE DISORDERS IDENTIFICATION TEST (AUDIT) AS A SCREEN FORAT-RISK DRINKING IN PRIMARY-CARE PATIENTS OF DIFFERENT RACIAL ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS/

This study examined the operating characteristics of the Alcohol Use D isorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as a screen for ''at-risk'' drink ing in a multi-ethnic sample of primary care patients, from a family p ractice center located in the southwestern United States. A probabilit y sample of 1333 family medicine patients, stratified by gender and ra cial/ethnic background (white, African-American and Mexican-American) completed the AUDIT, followed by the Alcohol Use Disorders and Associa ted Disabilities Interview Schedule (AUDADIS) to determine ICD-10 diag noses. Indicators of hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related problem s were included as measures of ''at-risk'' drinking. Despite differenc es in the spectrum of alcohol problems across patient subgroups, there was no evidence of gender or racial/ethnic bias in the AUDIT as indic ated by Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analysis. Excluding ab stainers from the analysis had little impact on screening efficacy. In this patient population, the AUDIT appears to be an unbiased measure of ''at-risk'' drinking.