The RUS-AUDIT validation study protocol: adapting and validating the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (‎AUDIT)‎ in the Russian Federation 

Overview

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (‎AUDIT)‎ is internationally recognized as one of the most successful instruments in screening for problematic alcohol use, including possible alcohol use disorders. However, inconsistent use of different existing Russian-language translations of the AUDIT has been observed in the Russian Federation as well as other countries, and none of the existing versions appears to have been formally validated using an established study protocol.

Inconsistency in the way the various AUDIT versions that currently exist are applied in different settings creates problems both in their application and in the interpretation of results. Furthermore, it presents a significant barrier to the implementation of a screening and brief intervention strategy at primary health-care (‎PHC)‎ level in the Russian Federation for early detection of individuals who consume alcohol in a way that puts them at risk.

The present study protocol describes the steps that were required to validate the AUDIT in the Russian Federation. It documents several pre-studies that were conducted as part of an extended problem analysis and provides guidance on the specific steps that need to be taken to translate and adapt the AUDIT for use in the Russian language. It also gives an overview of study procedures aimed at determining the best AUDIT thresholds for different risk levels and thus implementing interventions at PHC level in the Russian Federation.

The study protocol can inform validation efforts in other countries, while the study result has potential to be used in other countries that have drinking patterns and health-care systems similar to those in the Russian Federation.