INTERVIEWING MINORITY YOUTH ABOUT DRUG-USE - TELEPHONE VS. IN-PERSON SURVEYS

As compared with face-to-face interviews about drug use, telephone int erviews introduce sampling bias in that they exclude nontelephone hous eholds and are also more susceptible to certain response biases (e.g., underreporting, social desirability). The present study suggests that these biases may be particularly confounding for drug use surveys inv olving minority youth (age 18-25). Estimates of the prevalence of drug use, especially among minority populations, should correct for these systematic selection and mode-of-interview biases.