NCJ Number
178990
Date Published
1999
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article examines the agreement between urinalysis and self-reported drug use.
Abstract
One hundred fifty-eight drug users received an interview that included self-reported drug use. Opiate/cocaine use in the prior 48 hours was assessed by urinalysis. Fifty-five subjects received a urine test after the interview and 103 were tested before. Chi-square tests were performed to determine if agreement between self-reported drug use and urine test results was associated with timing of urine testing. The rate of agreement was 58 percent when the urine test was performed after the interview and 93 percent when performed before the interview. Respondents appeared concerned about the way in which they were perceived by interviewers and were likely to report the more socially desirable response (i.e., that they had stopped using drugs). These findings suggest that conducting urine tests before an interview can increase the accuracy of self-reports. Tables, references