AUDIT-C consists of the first 3-items on the 10-item AUDIT survey that asks about quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption as well as the frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Details of the questions and possible responses have been described previously.14 Responses to each of the 3-items are assigned 0 to 4 points. Summing points for the 3-items in AUDIT-C results in a score total ranging from 0 to 12, with higher scores reflecting greater severity of alcohol use.36 Since the recommended AUDIT-C threshold for unhealthy alcohol use differs between men (≥ 4) and women (≥ 3),20 we categorized self-reported alcohol consumption in the past year according to AUDIT-C using the following cutoffs: 0 (no alcohol use/“abstinence”); 1–3 for men/1–2 for women (lower risk drinking); 4–7 for men/3–7 for women (at-risk drinking); and 8–12 (high risk drinking).
