Comparing the AUDIT and 3 Drinking Indices As Predictors of Personal and Social Drinking Problems in Freshman First Offenders (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‪)‬

Abstract The current study of 376 college freshman adjudicated the first time for breaking university drinking rules tested the predictive power of four alcohol consumption and problem drinking indices--recent changes in drinking (the Alcohol Change Index: ACI), heavy drinking, binge drinking index, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) with two subscales of the College Alcohol Problem Scale (personal and social problems) as criterion measure. In addition, the ACI, heavy drinking, and the binge-drinking index were tested for receiver operating characteristics (ROC) (sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, positive predictive value and the area under the curve) using the AUDIT as criterion. Results demonstrated that the AUDIT was the best predictor of personal and social problems, and the binge showed the best ROC data with the AUDIT as criteria. Recommendations for use of brief instruments are suggested.