Validation of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in adolescents Peruvians

Introduction: Alcohol consumption is a contemporary public health problem in society and affects adolescents in all countries. Excessive consumption at an early age can have short or long-term negative effects on physical and psychological health, which is necessary to provide an evidence-based instrument for its prevention. Objective: To analyze the psychometric properties of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption (AUDIT-C) in Peruvian adolescents. Methods: Instrumental and transversal research. 402 adolescents participated and answered the AUDIT-C, and other psychological variables. Statistical analyzes were performed through structural equations, Bayesian reliability, measurement invariance, and item response theory. Results: 84% consumed an alcoholic beverage once a month or less. The unidimensional structure was acceptable (CFI= 0.99; RMSEA= 0.01; SRMR= 0,01), adequate reliability (ωbayes= 0.81; H= 0.98), invariance according to sex and relationship with child abuse and suicidal ideation. Likewise, item 3 was the one that most discriminated the latent trait and the scale is useful at high levels of alcohol consumption. Conclusions: The AUDIT-C presents adequate sources of validity evidence for the interpretation and inference of its scores on adolescent alcohol consumption. Given its brevity, it is useful as a complementary tool to obtain additional information in the evaluation or research processes.