 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Patricia Ann Clubb, PhD, Fernando Wagner, ScD, and Dorothy C. Browne, DrPH. Drug Abuse Research Program, Morgan State University, 2201 Argonne Drive, Montebello D-103, Baltimore, MD 21218, 828-225-0471, PattyClubb@aol.com
National studies such as the YRBS and the NHSDA use self-report measures to assess the prevalence of substance use among American youth. Recent research has investigated the reliability of drug use questions and the characteristics of youth that predict inconsistencies between earlier and later reports of use. Factors significantly related to retractions of earlier reports of substance use include gender, race/ethnic group, family structure, and academic-related factors. Fewer studies have examined the reliability of age of onset reports. In general, these studies found that adults and adolescents tended to indicate older ages of onset than previously reported (i.e., “forward telescope”). The goal of the current study is to investigate the extent to which adolescents provide inconsistent reports over time. Data are from a sample of 1,354 African-American adolescents who completed at least two surveys during their participation in the Reaching Adolescents, Parents, and Peers study, a longitudinal study of middle school youth that was conducted from the fall of 1993 to the spring of 1997. Analyses will be based on GEE logistic regression analyses to determine which factors predict inconsistent reports. Potential predictors include gender, family structure, self-reported grades in school, religiosity, perceived use of substances among grade-level peers and three best friends, and propensity for risk taking. Analyses will also investigate the extent to which inconsistent age of onset reports influence the observed order in which adolescents begin using drugs. Findings may inform discussions of stages of drug use, analysis of longitudinal data, and the timing of preventive interventions.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Drug Use, Methodology
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.