Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the relationship between AUDIT score and liver function test.
METHODS
AUDIT questionnaires were distributed to 440 blue-collar workers. We compared liver function test with firstly, normal and hazardous drinking as defined by WHO, and secondly, with normal, hazardous and harmful drinking as measured by Kim et al.(1999). We also compared influencing factors on abnormal liver function.
RESULTS
By simple analysis in the normal BMI group, abnormal liver function was significantly affected by hazardous drinking (odds ratio 2.81) based on the guideline of WHO. By chi-square test for linear trend in the normal BMI group, abnormal liver function was significantly affected by hazardous drinking (odds ratio 1.23) and harmful drinking (odds ratio 2.14) based on the guideline of Kim et al.By multiple logistic regression analysis, abnormal liver function was significantly affected by AUDIT questionnaires No. 1-3 (odds ratio- high risk 2.39), age (odds ratio- thirties 1.95, forties 2.40, fifties 3.85), BMI (odds ratio- overweight 1.66, obesity 4.53), guideline by WHO (odds ratio- hazardous drinking 2.10), and guideline by Kim et al (odds ratio- harmful drinking 2.20) CONCLUSIONS: We found that the problem of alcohol drinking as measured by AUDIT was significantly associated with abnormal liver function. Therefore we suggest that AUDIT will be useful for the predictive test of abnormal liver function and screening test of hazardous and harmful drinking.

• Keywords: AUDIT;Liver function test