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Background: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is commonly used in clinical settings to assess the severity of alcohol-related problems, with the effectiveness of alcohol reduction interventions varying across this spectrum. In a recent study, we demonstrated that a 12-week intervention involving the provision of free non-alcoholic beverages reduced alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers for up to 8 weeks post-intervention. However, it remains unclear whether this effect was consistent across different AUDIT score ranges. Therefore, this secondary analysis aimed to examine whether the severity of alcohol-related problems, as indicated by AUDIT scores, influences the effectiveness of non-alcoholic beverage provision in reducing alcohol consumption., Methods: This was a single-center, open-label, randomized, parallel-group study. Participants were Japanese individuals who frequently consumed large quantities of alcohol (at least 40 g/day for men and 20 g/day for women) but were not diagnosed with alcohol dependence. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. The intervention group received free non-alcoholic beverages once every 4 weeks over a 12-week period (24 bottles of 350 mL per case, up to three cases per session, for a total of three sessions). Alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage consumption over the previous 4 weeks was tracked using a drinking diary. For this secondary analysis, participants were categorized into four groups based on their AUDIT scores (group 1: ≤ 7 points, group 2: 8-11 points, group 3: 12-14 points, and group 4: ≥ 15 points), and changes in alcohol consumption were compared across these groups in both the intervention and control participants., Results: The provision of non-alcoholic beverages significantly increased non-alcoholic beverage consumption in all groups. However, alcohol consumption was significantly reduced in the intervention groups compared to controls only in groups 1-3. The reduction in alcohol consumption was less pronounced in groups 3 and 4 compared to group 1 (both, p < 0.05). Importantly, the provision of non-alcoholic beverages did not lead to an increase in alcohol consumption, even among individuals with higher AUDIT scores., Conclusions: These findings suggest that individuals with higher AUDIT scores may experience a reduced benefit from a 12-week non-alcoholic beverage intervention in terms of alcohol consumption reduction. Nevertheless, this intervention appears to be a safe and effective strategy for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers who do not have alcohol dependence., Trial Registration: UMIN UMIN000047949. Registered 4 June 2022., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Binge drinking is a common and risky behavior among college students. In Japan, however, research on the prevalence of binge drinking and alcohol-related consequences, and the relationship between them, is currently scant. The aim of this study is to examine the status of binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, and the relationship between them, among Japanese college students. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of college students who participated in a health seminar or lecture including alcohol-related contents from December 2018 to January 2019. Drinking patterns and alcohol-related consequences were assessed using the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) and demographic data. A total of 382 students participated in the seminar, of whom 280 agreed to cooperate in this study and 249 had drinking experience. A total of 88 men (67.7%) and 42 women (32.2%) were classified as binge drinkers. Binge drinkers more significantly experienced various consequences, such as hangover, feeling remorse and embarrassing behavior and some of them were suspected of physical dependence. Furthermore, logistic analysis revealed that among men, the B-YAACQ scores of binge drinkers were 2.01-fold higher those of non-binge drinkers. The findings of this study indicated that binge drinking may cause not only physical consequences but also mental and social problems, especially among men. It is important to tell college students these risks properly not to engage in binge drinking.

Alcohol use disorder is a serious health problem in college students. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening tool to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems. AUDIT-C is a short version of AUDIT, consisting of consumption items 1-3. However, the optimal cutoff values of AUDIT and AUDIT-C for detecting excessive drinking are not available for Japanese college students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of cutoff points of AUDIT and AUDIT-C for detecting moderate drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking among Japanese college students. The cross-sectional study was based on an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. In January 2017, we sampled college students and graduate students aged 20 years or older during annual health examinations at Mie University in Japan. Two thousand students underwent health examinations, and the eligible subjects were 1,600, including 152 (9.5%) moderate drinkers, 58 (3.6%) heavy drinkers and 666 (41.6%) binge drinkers. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values for moderate drinking, heavy drinking and binge drinking were 5, 8 and 5 for men and 4, 7 and 4 for women in AUDIT; and 4, 7 and 4 for men and 4, 7 and 4 for women in AUDIT-C, respectively. Moderate drinking is considered unsafe drinking. Therefore, the optimal cutoff values for moderate drinking (5 for men and 4 for women in AUDIT and 4 for both sexes in AUDIT-C) are important parameters for prevention of alcohol use disorder in Japanese college students.