Comparing
Drug Testing and Self Report of Drug Use Among Youths and Young Adults
in the General Population
OAS Methodology Series M-7, DHHS Publication No. (SMA)07-4249.
Highlights:
- This
214 page validity report provides data comparing respondents' self
reported drug use with drug tests for tobacco, marijuana, cocaine,
opiates, and amphetamines. Drug testing included both urine and hair
specimens. Other methodological issues examined included the technical
aspects of collecting urine and hair samples, the willingness of respondents
to provide specimens, and questionnaire strategies.
- For
tobacco, there was 84.6% agreement between self report in the past
30 days and urine test results. About 5.8% reported no use and tested
positive and 9.6% reported use in the past 30 days and did not test
positive.
- For
marijuana, there was 89.8% agreement between self report in the past
30 days and urine test results. About 4.4% reported no use and tested
positive and 5.8% reported use in the past 30 days and did not test
positive.
- Comparison
of the 7 day self reports for cocaine with the urine test results
showed 98.5% agreement (98.2% reported no use and tested negative
and 0.3% reported use and tested positive.
- This
validity study concluded that biological drug tests can be used as
objective markers of drug use to verify self reports among youth and
young adults. However, researchers employing drug tests in epidemiological
studies must be knowledgeable concerning the performance characteristics
of analytical procedures used for the drug tests. These include the
capabilities of the test methods and validation of procedures used
by the testing laboratory. Researchers also need to know the pharmacology
of the drugs tested to enable an acceptable study design and correct
interpretation of the drug test results in the different biological
specimen matrices.
Other
methodology reports
Other
topics
Other
OAS publications and services
This methodological
report is based on SAMHSA's National Survey on
Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The NSDUH is conducted by the
Office of Applied Studies (OAS) in the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA's
survey (NSDUH) is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns,
and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian
non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health also provides estimates for
drug use by State. |
