Do Self-Report Studies of Drug Use Really Give Dependable Results?

1981 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald G. Smart ◽  
George K. Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Rafael Alves Guimarães ◽  
Márcia Maria de Souza ◽  
Karlla Antonieta Amorim Caetano ◽  
Sheila Araujo Teles ◽  
Marcos André de Matos

Summary Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with illicit drug use by adolescents and young adults of a formal urban settlement. Method: Cross-sectional study including adolescents and young adults 12-24 years of an urban settlement in the Midwest Region of Brazil. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata, version 12.0. We used Poisson regression model to estimate the factors associated with illicit drug use. Results: Of the total participants (n=105), 27.6% (95CI 20.0-36.9%) had used illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD and inhalants. The consumption of these substances was associated with male gender, use of body piercing and/or tattoos, licit drug use and self-report of signs and/or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: High prevalence of illicit drug use was found in the individuals investigated, ratifying the presence of risk factors to the vulnerability of the settlers to use these substances in the urban settlement population.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Suzanne Brouwer ◽  
Sonia Napravnik ◽  
Sarah G. Smiley ◽  
Amanda H. Corbett ◽  
Joseph J. Eron

2000 ◽  
Vol 58 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget Kilpatrick ◽  
Mary Howlett ◽  
Philip Sedgwick ◽  
A.Hamid Ghodse
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
George S. Yacoubian

Urinalysis is utilized routinely as a tool to validate self-reported drug use. Past research has been inconclusive, however, in confirming strong correlations between urinalysis and self-reported drug use. In the current study, correlation estimates for cocaine and heroin use are derived from adult arrestees surveyed through the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program between 1990 and 1997. While the strength of agreement between urinalysis and self-report data varies by both substance and jurisdiction, correlation estimates are consistent over time. These findings suggest that the need for urinalysis should be reassessed.


2002 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 546-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha R Gross ◽  
Sean P Barrett ◽  
John S Shestowsky ◽  
Robert O Pihl

Objective: This study investigates the drug consumption patterns of a sample of rave attendees in the city of Montreal, Quebec, and seeks to identify the prevalence of 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other drug use in this population. Method: We administered a self-report questionnaire to 210 respondents. For various licit and illicit substances, participants reported their age of first use, number of lifetime uses, and usage in the previous 30 days. Results: We found a significant rank order for the sequence of first use: 1) alcohol, 2) nicotine, 3) cannabis, 4) LSD, 5) psilocybin, 6) amphetamine, 7) cocaine, 8) MDMA, 9) gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), 10) ephedrine, 11) ketamine. Alcohol and cannabis were the most commonly used substances, both in cumulative number of lifetime uses and in usage in the preceding 30 days. MDMA and amphetamine were also notable as the next 2 most popular drugs for use in the preceding 30 days and in terms of those who had tried the drugs at least once. We identified a progressive rank order of experimentation, with early alcohol or cannabis use (or both) associated with the early use of all other drugs tried by more than 25% of the sample. We found MDMA and amphetamine use to be prevalent, as was general experimentation with all drugs studied, other than heroin. Conclusion: Drug consumption levels were substantial in this “rave” population, particularly with respect to recent use of MDMA, amphetamine, cannabis, and alcohol. Results also indicate that the sequence of drug experimentation in this population follows an identifiable pattern.


Author(s):  
Louis E. Baxter

Chapter 12 describes patient monitoring in the setting of addiction or addiction risk, and pain management, to include drug testing. The advantages, disadvantages, and types of available testing for drug use are described, with a discussion of their limitations. Body fluids and tissues for sampling include hair, blood, saliva, sweat, and urine; all yield information regarding drug use within unique limitations and at different levels of convenience. The test methodology imposes a need to know respective sensitivities and specificities, particularly in a forensic setting. Breath testing (alcohol) is not within the scope of this chapter. Recommended frequencies of urine testing are addressed. The utility of other forms of monitoring (self-report, collateral sources, PDMP) is assessed in the final section. Two tables are provided, (1) urine drug detection times, and (2) sources of false positive tests in urine immunoassay studies. Supplemental information sources are cited in a text box.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117822182094633
Author(s):  
Autumn Rae Florimbio ◽  
Meagan J Brem ◽  
Hannah L Grigorian ◽  
Alisa R Garner ◽  
Gregory L Stuart

Background: Advances in technology provide opportunities for communication using electronic mediums. Sexting is one form of electronic communication and includes the sending of explicit sexual content (e.g., photos, text) through electronic mediums. Previous research demonstrated a positive association between sexting and behaviors such as substance use. Moreover, substance use increases the risk for intimate partner violence and is also associated with risky behaviors. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexting in a sample of 84 women mandated to attend batterer intervention programs following arrest for domestic violence. The associations between sexting, substance use, and intimate partner violence were also examined. Method: Participants completed self-report questionnaires that assessed sexting, intimate partner violence, and alcohol and drug use symptoms. Results: Fifty-four percent of participants reported being asked to send a sext, 35.1% reported sending a sext, and 32.0% reported requesting a sext. Drug use symptoms were positively associated with some forms of sexting and intimate partner violence. There was a significant difference in drug use symptoms, such that women who received a request to send a sext had significantly more symptoms relative to women who had not received a request to send a sext. Conclusion: This is the first examination of sexting in a sample of women arrested for domestic violence. Findings indicate an association between drug use symptoms, sexting, and intimate partner violence, warranting continued research in this domain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Richard Hammersley ◽  
Nick Holmes ◽  
Marie Reid

Constraint theory (Hammersley, 2014) offers a novel way of understanding addiction as a lack of cognitive, behavioural, and social constraints on substance use. Here, cannabis constraints were studied in a large online opportunity sample: N = 302; 205 men, 97 women. Age ranged from 14 to 60 years (mean = 25, SD = 8.0). Most participants were from UK or North America. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing 15 cannabis constraints and standard self-report frequency measures of drug use. Factor analysis of the constraint questionnaire found 15 factors, similar to those proposed theoretically. These factors could discriminate well between past and current users and heavy and light users. The best discriminator was concerns about the possibility of becoming addicted; the less concerned the heavier was use, although those who actually felt addicted were more concerned than others. Past users also constrained due to using legal highs instead, concerns about illegality, and using only when others used. Light users constrained due to availability and cost issues, as well as unpleasant effects. These findings suggest that there is utility in constraint theory and that heavy use occurs due to a relative lack of constraints.


2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Johnson ◽  
Michael Fendrich
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  

2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (Supplement_5) ◽  
pp. S218-S229
Author(s):  
Heather Bradley ◽  
Elizabeth M Rosenthal ◽  
Meredith A Barranco ◽  
Tomoko Udo ◽  
Patrick S Sullivan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the United States, injection is an increasingly common route of administration for opioids and other substances. Estimates of the number of persons who inject drugs (PWID) are needed for monitoring risk-specific infectious disease rates and health services coverage. Methods We reviewed design and instruments for 4 national household surveys, 2012–2016, for their ability to produce unbiased injection drug use (IDU) prevalence estimates. We explored potential analytic adjustments for reducing biases through use of external data on (1) arrest, (2) narcotic overdose mortality, and (3) biomarker-based sensitivity of self-reported illicit drug use. Results Estimated national past 12 months IDU prevalence ranged from 0.24% to 0.59% across surveys. All surveys excluded unstably housed and incarcerated persons, and estimates were based on <60 respondents reporting IDU behavior in 3 surveys. No surveys asked participants about nonmedical injection of prescription drugs. Analytic adjustments did not appreciably change IDU prevalence estimates due to suboptimal specificity of data points. Conclusions PWID population size estimates in the United States are based on small numbers and are likely biased by undercoverage of key populations and self-report. Novel methods as discussed in this article may improve our understanding of PWID population size and their health needs.


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