Development, Validation, and Application of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) In the Kenyan Context

Abstract

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is one of the most widely used multi-item tools, combining consumption indicators (frequency, quantity, and heavy episodic drinking [HED]) with dependency indicators. AUDIT was developed in the early 1980s by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an outcome of a multinational collaborative initiative designed to establish a standardized screening instrument for the early identification of hazardous and harmful drinking behaviours across various cultural settings (Saunders et al., 1993). The tool’s relevancy in the Kenya context is inevitable because according to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) reports, Kenyans (approximately 3.2 million people) consumes alcohol, highlighting associated public health challenges. The aim of this article is to enhance precision in diagnosis and supports culturally valid clinical and counselling practice through the use of systematic and culturally customized tools. The study was restricted to secondary sources like online databased, books, government reports and published materials. The research criteria for the articles reviewed was based on the sample used, recommended year of publication was 2022 and above with few exceptions for classical materials and variables of study. Data were collected using descriptive analysis and thematic analysis. The results indicated that AUDIT requires cultural contextual adjustment to fit diverse communities in Kenya. Informed by the findings, the recommendation is that for AUDIT’s full psychometric properties to be used, it is imperative to construct indigenous metrics (or contextually modified counterparts) that are informed by the Kenyan cultural milieu, beverage consumption practices, regional vernacular, and linguistic nuances.