THE VALIDITY OF SELF-REPORTED OPIATE AND COCAINE USE BY OUT-OF-TREATMENT DRUG-USERS

The objective of this study was (I) to assess the validity of self-rep ort measures of opiate and cocaine use for a sample of out-of-treatmen t drug users by comparing self-reports to urinalysis results, and (2) to examine the correlates of valid self-reports. Baseline data were co llected from 1, 015 out-of-treatment drug users in Philadelphia as par t of an HIV risk reduction intervention project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Agreement rates, sensitivity, and specificit y measurements were high, and kappa values were good indicating that o ut-of-treatment drug users provided moderately valid self-reported dru g use. The multivariate analysis revealed that women and younger perso ns were more likely to validly report opiate use and those who were yo unger and more educated were more likely to give valid reports of coca ine use. Additional research is needed to better understand difference s in the validity of self-reports of opiate and cocaine use and the ro le that urinalysis plays in influencing the validity of self-reported data.