Validity of self-report of drug use among STD patients, ER patients, and arrestees

This paper examines the validity of self-report of drug use in several impo rtant high-risk samples by comparing survey answers with urinalysis results . The analyses include data obtained from face-to-face interviews with 1536 patients in sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, 1564 patients in h ospital emergency rooms (ERs), and 2034 recent arrestees in jails. Using ur inalysis as the criterion measure, considerable underreporting was observed , particularly among STD and ER subjects using cocaine and opiates. A logis tic regression analysis on factors related to the underreporting was conduc ted for both cocaine and opiates. The results showed that a lower degree of underreporting was associated with subjects at jail sites (compared to STD subjects) and those who self-reported lifetime drug dependence.