NCJ Number: 182363
Title: Differences in the Validity of Self-Reported Drug Use Across Five Factors: Gender, Race, Age, Type of Drug, and Offense Seriousness
Author(s): Andre B. Rosay; Stacy S. Najaka; Denise C. Herz
Date Published: 2000
Page Count: 52
Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Grant Number: 97-IJ-CX-0051
Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
Document: PDF
Dataset: DATASET 1
Type: Report (Study/Research)
Format: Document
Language: English
Country: United States of America
Annotation: This examination of differences in the validity of self-reported
drug use across five factors -- gender, race, age, type of drug,
and offense seriousness -- shows that there are differences in
the accuracy, underreporting, and overreporting of drug use.
Abstract: First, the study examined differences in the accuracy of
self-reported drug use across gender, race, age, type of drug,
and offense seriousness. The data used were collected in 1994 as
part of the Drug Use Forecasting Program. Self-report surveys on
lifestyles and drug use and urine specimens were collected from
adult arrestees across 23 sites in the United States. The target
population for all sites included male and female arrestees being
held in a particular jurisdiction's detention facility. All
arrestees were interviewed and asked for a urine specimen within
48 hours of their arrest. The study explains differences in the
accuracy of self-reported drug use in terms of differences in
underreporting and overreporting. Inaccurate self-reports can
emerge due to underreporting and overreporting. The specific
sources of inaccurate self-reports were determined. The study
also explains differences in underreporting and overreporting in
terms of true differences or differences in opportunity.
Individuals can underreport drug use only if they test positive
for drug use. Similarly, individuals can overreport drug use only
if they test negative for drug use. In order to uncover true
differences in underreporting and overreporting, the study
controlled for differences in the opportunity to underreport and
overreport. Results show that accuracy was a function of race.
Black offenders provided less accurate self-reports than white
offenders. This difference is explained by differences in
underreporting and overreporting. The logistic regression results
show that black offenders were more likely to underreport
crack/cocaine use than white offenders, but black offenders were
not more likely to underreport marijuana use than white
offenders. This difference disappeared once opportunity was
controlled for. The report concludes that differences in the
accuracy, underreporting, and overreporting of drug use are
relatively rare. Some of these rare differences can be attributed
to differences in opportunity. No differences across gender, age,
or offense seriousness were found. These findings support the
further, although cautious, use of self-reports. 10 tables, 2
figures, and 30 references
Main Term(s): Criminology
Index Term(s): Age group comparisons; Drug use; Drug Use Forecasting system; Gender issues; NIJ final report; Race-crime relationships; Research methods; Self-report studies
Note: Dataset may be archived by the NIJ Data Resources Program at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
To cite this abstract, use the following link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=182363
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