Reliability and factor structure of the audit among male and female bar patrons in a rural area of South Africa

We assessed the reliability and dimensional structure of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among bar patrons in a rural area of South Africa. In total, 406 bar patrons completed a questionnaire containing the AUDIT, and demographic and psychosocial measures. The participants consisted of 314 (77.3%) males and 92 (22.6%) females. Their combined mean age was 30.0 years (SD = 8.45). The data were analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach’s alpha reliability analysis which were conducted separately for males and females. We found that Cronbach’s alpha for the AUDIT was 0.81 and 0.72 for the males and females, respectively. CFA supported a two-factor and three-factor model for the males but failed to support a one-factor, two-factor, or three-factor model for the females. The results suggest that the AUDIT is highly reliable, but that potential gender differences in its factor structure should be considered, particularly when applied in new contexts.