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Abstract
Aims: Despite the various settings and diverse populations in which the utility of the AUDIT-C has been examined, college students have remained conspicuously absent from the vast majority of these studies. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the AUDIT-C with a sample of college student bar patrons.
Methods: Intercept interviews were used to recruit currently enrolled college students (n = 347) exiting bars. A brief face-to-face interview assessed demographic data, alcohol-related behaviors (AUDIT-C), and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC). AUDIT-C responses were subjected to a principal component analysis. BrAC was used as a measure of concurrent validity against two distinct gender-based AUDIT-C cut-off scores.
Results: All AUDIT-C items loaded on a single factor, accounting for 68% of total variance. Pearson’s product–moment correlation coefficients between BrAC and both hazardous drinking AUDIT-C cut-offs (r = 0.32; r = 0.38) were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Moreover, those meeting each hazardous drinking gender-based criteria exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.001) BrAC readings than those not meeting these criteria. Effect sizes for these group differences were considerable (Cohen’s d > 0.70). Reliability and stability statistics indicated strong internal consistency.
Conclusions: Results reported herein highlight the sound psychometric qualities of the AUDIT-C and its ability to produce valid and reliable scores among college students.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.