Concurrent and construct validity of the audit in an urban brazilian sample.

AIMS To assess the concurrent and the construct validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in an urban Brazilian sample. METHODS A random sample of 166 clients of a health management organization, participated in this study. They were visited in their households and completed a self-report questionnaire, which included the AUDIT. Later, they answered the alcohol-related disorders (ARDs) Section of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to find the best cut-off point for ICD-10 diagnosis of ARDs. Confirmatory factor analysis was run to assess the construct validity. RESULTS The ROC analysis showed the same cut-off point (7/8) for ICD-10 diagnosis of ARDs found in previous studies carried out in primary care settings, including in Brazil, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 76%. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor structure. The first factor measured consumption and the second factor alcohol-related problems. CONCLUSIONS The results supported the use of the self-reported version of the AUDIT in epidemiologic studies, and showed a similar cut-off point for detection of ARDs and hazardous drinking.