NCJ Number
211577
Journal
Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 37-61
Date Published
September 2005
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study of 376 college freshmen who were adjudicated the first time for breaking university drinking rules tested the predictive power of 4 alcohol consumption and problem-drinking indexes.
Abstract
The College Alcohol Problem Scale (CAPS) was used to measure problem behaviors and mental states that stem from the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The 10-question AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) measured the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence, and the consequences of alcohol consumption. The single-item Alcohol Change Index (ACI) was used to measure the pattern of alcohol use in the past 3 months. Logistic regression was used primarily to test the relative predictive power of each drinking index when controlling for the other indexes. Overall, the AUDIT questionnaire was the strongest predictor of alcohol-related personal and social problems as measured by the CAPS. The heavy-drinking measure was a significant predictor of community problems, although the odds ratio was less than half the magnitude of that for the AUDIT. This report recommends that a battery of brief, valid, and reliable instruments, such as those examined in this study, can provide a cost-effective means of individual assessment and program evaluation for prevention and early intervention programs. Successful strategies may include a combination of psychoeducation that includes models of addiction, the consequences of alcohol abuse, estimation of blood alcohol levels, teaching drinking moderation skills, training in relaxation, nutrition, and encouragement to engage in aerobic exercise, monitoring and coping with risky drinking situations more assertively, challenging erroneous alcohol expectations, and relapse-prevention skills. 4 tables and 38 references