College students displaying photos and posts on Facebook with references to alcohol intoxication or problem drinking were more likely to score higher in a clinical test to screen for those behaviors, according to a new study.

“Results suggest that clinical criteria for problem drinking can be applied to Facebook alcohol references,” authors of a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine said.

Displaying references to intoxication or problem drinking on Facebook were positively associated with scores on a clinical scale suggesting problem drinking as well as alcohol-related injury, according to a new study.

Students making references to drunkenness and problem drinking had a 64 percent higher chance of reporting an alcohol-related injury in the past year.

Researchers publishing the study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine included undergraduate students between 18 and 20 years of age at two state universities with public Facebook profiles.

Student profiles were categorized into Nondisplayers, Alcohol Displayers, and I/PD Displayers (Intoxication/public drinking). Out of 307 profiles identified, 224 participants completed a survey.

Profile owners who displayed I/PD were more likely to score in the problem drinking category of the AUDIT scale (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), had 64 percent higher AUDIT scores overall, and were more likely to report an alcohol-related injury in the past year.

The study was led by Dr. Megan Moreno of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and included other researchers from the university and the University of Washington.