Predicting problem drinking in college students: Gender differences and the cage questionnaire

Adolescents and young adults are among the highest users of alcohol and other drugs in the United States. One of the tools most commonly employed in screening for problem drinking and alcohol dependence is the CAGE questionnaire. Research has indicated, however, that not only may the CAGE be a poor detection device for identifying youthful substance abuse, but it may particularly lack strength in the detection of alcohol abuse by young women. The current study examined the predictive power of the CAGE relative to other common assessment indicators of youthful substance abuse in a sample of college students. It focused on the relative predictive power of the CAGE in detecting a high level of drinking-related problems. In addition, the interaction of gender and a positive CAGE score was included in the logistic regression analysis to test the hypothesis that the CAGE is predictive for men but not for women. Results suggest that the CAGE is a relatively weak predictor of alcohol-related problems in this sample of college students, and it lacks predictive power for detecting problems in college women. Issues concerning substance-abuse assessment in young people are discussed, with special consideration given to gender differences. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd