309723
A Retrospective Study on the Association between AUDIT Domain Scores and Demographic Factors and Readiness to Change Scores in Emergency and Trauma Patients
The Alcohol Use and Disorders Test (AUDIT) result is a composite score of three domains of alcohol use: frequency, dependency, and harmful drinking patterns. Studies have analyzed these domains to validate AUDIT as a screening tool, but few have investigated their association with patient demographics.
Methods:
This retrospective study analyzed AUDIT domain scores in association with age, sex, language, education level, and readiness-to-change scores from adult emergency and trauma patients at a tertiary university hospital between January 2011 and December 2013. We analyzed data from 761 hazardous drinkers using one-way ANOVA testing, two-sample T-tests, and linear regression.
Results:
In linear regression, adjusted for: age, sex, language, and education level, age and sex were associated with drinking frequency, with 18-20 year-olds and females scoring significantly less than other groups. The dependency domain was associated with education, age, and language. Individuals with less than high school education, those between the ages of 40-49, and those who took the test in Spanish demonstrated significantly higher dependency scores than other groups. Age was associated with more harmful drinking patterns, with ages 18-20, 21-24, and 65+, each scoring significantly higher than other ages. Individuals with higher harmful drinking domain scores demonstrated greater willingness to change their drinking habits.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that certain patient demographics are associated with each domain, and experiencing negative consequences of drinking results in higher readiness-to-change scores. Healthcare professionals can utilize individual domain scores along with these associated factors to create a more targeted approach in brief intervention.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyPublic health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate among the three Alcohol Use and Disorders Test (AUDIT) domains; Explain the association between sex, age, language, and education level with alcohol drinking patterns, such as frequency, dependency, and negative consequences of alcohol use; Describe the association between readiness-to-change and AUDIT domain scores
Keyword(s): Alcohol Use, Screening Instruments
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate student in public health with an emphasis in epidemiology and an interest in modifiable risk factors and intervention. I have cultivated my experience in the field of epidemiology by compiling data on women’s health and behavioral risk factors such as alcohol use, conducting data analysis regarding chronic diseases and modifiable risk factors, and by working with professionals in the emergency department conducting research on computerized alcohol screening and brief intervention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.