MAGENT

AUDIT-C score: the three alcohol consumption questions (Bush 1998)

The AUDIT-C is the alcohol consumption part of the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test): three questions about how often someone drinks, how much on a typical drinking day and how often they have six or more drinks on one occasion. Each is scored 0 to 4, for a total of 0 to 12. This AUDIT-C score calculator adds the three item points you've assigned and reports whether the total reaches 3 and whether it reaches 4.

Not a medical device. Not a diagnosis or dosing recommendation.

Use this calculator via API

What is the AUDIT-C?

Bush and colleagues studied the first three questions of the AUDIT as a brief screen on their own. In their paper, a score of 3 or more was the sensitive threshold and 4 or more the more specific one. The calculator reports both.

The item points come from the response options for each question. Magent doesn't turn drink counts into points; you give it the points.

The AUDIT-C formula

AUDIT-C = frequency + typical drinks + binge frequency

each item 0 to 4; total 0 to 12
flags: 3 or more, and 4 or more

Exact expression the calculator uses:

AUDIT-C = frequency + typical_drinks + binge_frequency; each caller-assigned 0-4; max 12

Inputs

InputQuestion areaPoints
frequencyHow often a drink containing alcohol in the past year0 to 4
typical_drinksDrinks on a typical drinking day0 to 4
binge_frequencyHow often six or more drinks on one occasion0 to 4

How the calculation works

  1. Take the three item points as assigned.
  2. Add them.
  3. Set the flags: screen_ge_3 is true at 3 or more, and screen_ge_4 is true at 4 or more.

Both flags come from Bush 1998. The calculator doesn't apply different cutoffs for men and women.

Worked examples

These use Magent's own expected values for the calculator.

Example 1: 1 point on each item

  1. 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.
  2. The 3-or-more flag is true; the 4-or-more flag is false.
  3. AUDIT-C 3.

Example 2: 2 points for frequency, 1 on each of the others

  1. 2 + 1 + 1 = 4.
  2. Both flags are true.
  3. AUDIT-C 4.

Example 3: 0 on every item

  1. 0 + 0 + 0 = 0.
  2. Neither flag is true.
  3. AUDIT-C 0.

History of the AUDIT-C

Bush and colleagues published "The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking" in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1998. The three items and the thresholds of 3 and 4 the calculator uses come from that paper.

When it's used

When a brief, structured record of alcohol consumption is wanted, using the three AUDIT-C questions.

Where it's used

Primary care, outpatient clinics, hospitals and research.

Who uses it

Doctors, nurses, other health professionals and researchers. The calculator adds the points and sets the two flags.

Limits of the calculation

  • It's a screen. A total doesn't establish an alcohol use disorder.
  • The item points must be assigned correctly from the response options; the calculator doesn't check them.
  • It reports the two Bush 1998 thresholds and no others.
  • The thresholds come from a study of male VA outpatients (Bush 1998 excluded women).
  • It isn't the full 10-item AUDIT.
  • This page doesn't say what a score means for a particular person.

Clinical decisions belong to a qualified clinician who knows the patient.

  • CAGE questionnaire asks four yes/no questions about drinking; the AUDIT-C asks about amount and frequency.

Glossary

  • AUDIT: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a 10-item questionnaire.
  • Sensitive threshold: a lower cutoff that picks up more people who have the condition being screened for.
  • Specific threshold: a higher cutoff that flags fewer people who don't.

Common mistakes

  • Entering drink counts instead of points. Each item takes points from 0 to 4.
  • Expecting sex-specific cutoffs. The calculator reports 3 or more and 4 or more for everyone.
  • Confusing it with the full AUDIT. The AUDIT-C is its first three questions.

Source

Bush K, et al. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking. Arch Intern Med. 1998;158(16):1789-1795. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.158.16.1789. PMID: 9738608

Frequently asked questions

How is the AUDIT-C scored?

Add the points for the three items, each 0 to 4. The maximum is 12.

What do the two flags mean?

screen_ge_3 is true at 3 or more, the sensitive threshold in Bush 1998. screen_ge_4 is true at 4 or more, the more specific threshold.

Does the calculator use different cutoffs for men and women?

No. It reports the two Bush 1998 thresholds for every total. The thresholds come from a study of male VA outpatients (Bush 1998 excluded women).

Can I enter the number of drinks?

No. Enter the item points from 0 to 4.