Comparability of a computer-assisted versus written method for collecting health behavior information from adolescent patients

Purpose: To investigate the comparability of health behavior data obtained from adolescents via notebook computer Versus those obtained via written qu estionnaire. Methods: We interviewed adolescent patients (ages 13-20 years) receiving se rvices at community adolescent health clinics. Participants anonymously com pleted either a computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) or a self-administe red questionnaire (SAQ), both assessing health-protective behaviors, substa nce use (i.e., tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) and sexual behaviors. From a po ol of 671 adolescent participants (348 completing CASI, 323 completing SAQ) , we matched 194 SAQ participants with 194 CASI participants on the basis o f gender and race. We could not match individually on the basis of age, but were able to match each gender-race subgroup by mean age. Results: Across the majority of health behaviors (i.e., all health-protecti ve behaviors, tobacco use, sexual behaviors), mode of administration made n o significant difference in the reporting of information by adolescents. Ho wever, girls reported a greater frequency of alcohol use and marijuana use on CASI than on SAQ, whereas boys reported a lower frequency of alcohol use and marijuana use on CASI than on SAQ. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that there may be gender-re lated differences between modes of anonymous collection of specific adolesc ent health behaviors such as alcohol and marijuana use. Future studies shou ld incorporate direct questions regarding adolescents' attitude and comfort levels toward completing different modes of data collection. (C) Society f or Adolescent Medicine, 1999.