Validity of adolescent self report of substance use

Williams, Robert J.; Nowatzki, Nadine R.

Validity of adolescent self report of substance use

dc.contributor.author	Williams, Robert J.
dc.contributor.author	Nowatzki, Nadine R.
dc.date.accessioned	2007-08-28T20:57:18Z
dc.date.available	2007-08-28T20:57:18Z
dc.date.issued	2005
dc.description	Sherpa Romeo green journal. Permission to archive accepted author manuscript.	en
dc.description.abstract	The validity of self-report of substance use was examined in 367 adolescents referred for a substance use assessment between 1996 and 2000. Referrals came from a wide variety of sources, including pediatricians, the courts, social services, as well as self-referred by their parents. Average age of the sample was 15, 52% were male, and 82% were Caucasian. Adolescents were first asked about the details of their substance use by a clinician using a structured interview with established reliability and validity (Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Diagnosis). They were subsequently asked to provide a urine sample, a requirement they were unaware of when being interviewed about their substance use. If the urine sample was deemed valid by the laboratory technician it was analyzed by means of fluorescence polarization immunoassay and paper chromatography. If positive screens were obtained for any substance, the sample was subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for confirmation and quantification. Biochemical test results were compared to self-report. Overall, 28% (96/338) of the self-reports were not corroborated by urinalysis. Twenty-six percent (56/219) of adolescents who reported nonuse of a substance had a positive urinalysis. More surprisingly, 34% (40/119) of adolescents reporting substance use in the urinalysis detection window had a negative urinalysis. The present study found self-report of substance use in adolescents to only have fair validity. It is recommended that biochemical corroboration be routinely used for this population.	en
dc.description.peer-review	Yes	en
dc.identifier.citation	Williams, R. J. & Nowatzki, N. (2005). Validity of adolescent self report of substance use. Substance Use & Misuse, 40(3), 1-13. DOI: 10.1081/JA-200049327	en
dc.identifier.issn	1532-2491
dc.identifier.issn	1082-6084
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10133/420
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.publisher	Taylor & Francis	en
dc.publisher.faculty	School of Health Sciences	en
dc.publisher.institution	University of Lethbridge	en
dc.publisher.url	https://doi.org/10.1081/JA-200049327
dc.subject	Substance Use Youth	en
dc.subject	Urine Analysis	en
dc.subject	Urinalysis
dc.subject	Adolescent
dc.subject	Substance use;
dc.subject	Self-report
dc.subject	Validity
dc.title	Validity of adolescent self report of substance use	en
dc.type	Article	en