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Comparing Two Alcohol Screening Measures on Rates of Risky Alcohol Use in a University Health Clinic

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Abstract

College drinking is a serious health concern. Few studies have examined screening measures and methods of administration. This study compares two alcohol screens (NIAAA 5/4 binge drinking question or Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)) in a college student health clinic waiting room and two modes of administration (self-administered either on a computer kiosk or on a tablet computer). Participants were 259 undergraduates from the University of Miami. Most (78–98%) students completed screening. More students were identified with risky alcohol use with the 5/4 (49%) than AUDIT (14%). On the 5/4, administration method was not linked to completion, 93% kiosk vs. 95% tablet, p = .554, but was related to identification as a risky alcohol user, 42% kiosk vs. 56% tablet, p = .033. On the AUDIT, administration method was significantly related to completion, 73% kiosk vs. 98% tablet, p < .001, and identification, 8% kiosk vs. 23% tablet, p = .003. Method of administration of the single item 5/4 binge drinking question was related to the a higher proportion of students identified with risky alcohol use when screened by a computer tablet, but not completion rates; the AUDIT method of administration was related to both completion and identification rates (higher rates with the tablet in both cases). Education of student health providers who make decisions about what screening tools to use in their centers and who interpret the results of alcohol screening in college health centers should consider the potential influence of administration method. Future research should examine the reasons that method of administration might influence screening results.

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Funding

This research was funded by the Center for Prevention and Implementation Methodology for Drug Abuse and Sexual Risk Behavior (Ce-PIM) grant P30DA027828 (C. Hendricks Brown, Principal Investigator). Support for this research was also received from the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research: El Centro, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities grant P60MD002266 (Victoria Mitrani, Principal Investigator) and The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248153, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

    Brian E. McCabe & Valerie Halstead

  2. Student Health Service, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Gisel Stark

  3. School of Nursing, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica

    Derby Munoz-Rojas

  4. David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Lillian Gelberg

  5. Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Hilda Pantin & Guillermo Prado

Authors
  1. Brian E. McCabe
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  2. Gisel Stark
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  3. Valerie Halstead
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  4. Derby Munoz-Rojas
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  7. Guillermo Prado
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Correspondence to Brian E. McCabe.

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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McCabe, B.E., Stark, G., Halstead, V. et al. Comparing Two Alcohol Screening Measures on Rates of Risky Alcohol Use in a University Health Clinic. Int J Ment Health Addiction 17, 467–478 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00072-7

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