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. |