Inconsistencies over time in young adolescents' self-reports of substance use and sexual intercourse

When surveyed twice within a 6-month period, to what extent do young adoles cents give inconsistent answers to questions about sexual behavior and subs tance use (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, cocaine)? Data were c ollected from 1,575 urban African American and Hispanic students during fal l and spring of 7th grade. For each behavior examined, less than 2% of the sample gave inconsistent answers within a survey and less than 7.5% did so over time. Retraction of baseline answers at follow-up was greater for rare r and mort socially undesirable behaviors (e.g., cocaine versus cigarette u se). Over-time inconsistencies were associated with lower leading comprehen sion and an overall reduction in risk behaviors at follow-up. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]