Reliability of Drug Users' Self-Reported HIV Risk Behaviors and Validity of Self-Reported Recent Drug Use

Abstract

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Risk Behavior Assessment, a structured interview questionnaire designed to evaluate drug use and sexual HIV risk behaviors. Participants were 218 drug users currently not in treatment who completed the RBA two times over a 48-hour period and gave urine samples on both occasions. We examined internal consistency and test-retest reliability and found that, overall, drug users reliably report drug use and sexual behavior, although the reliability of reports of specific needle practice and sexual behavior items was somewhat lower. Validity results indicated that drug users' accurately report use of cocaine and opiates. These findings indicate that this self-report questionnaire, when administered by trained interviewers, reliably measures HIV risk behaviors in a drug-using population and provides a valid assessment of recent drug use.

A Comparative Study of Mortality Among Puerto Rican Injection Drug Users in East Harlem, New York, and Bayamon, Puerto Rico

“…We invested considerable efforts at developing a comparable interview protocol for the two cohorts, and previous studies of self-reports of street-recruited IDUs suggest that the self-reports are reasonably valid and reliable. 50,51 Nevertheless, the presence of selection, recall, or social desirability biases in the data cannot be ruled out. The mortality status of both cohorts was acquired from the same source, NDI, and we had several conversations with officials of the NDI to confirm that states followed similar reporting procedures and schedules.…”

Low perceived benefits and self-efficacy are associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection-related risk among injection drug users

“…Second, our analysis required self-reports of drug use, risk behaviours, and infection status, which may be biased by social desirability. However, self-reports of drug users have shown acceptable levels of reliability and validity (Dowling-Guyer et al, 1994;Samuels, Vlahov, Anthony, & Chaisson, 1992). Third, the potential effect of other IDUs on participants' behaviours or beliefs can modify risk behaviours.…”

Sexual Relationships, Secondary Syringe Exchange, and Gender Differences in HIV Risk Among Drug Injectors

“…27 However, multicenter research on injection drug users has shown that self-report is very reliable among drug users not recruited in clinical settings. [28][29][30] Other studies 31,32 and our own [33][34][35] have found substantial operational and contextual differences among SEPs and the communities in which they operate. In California, there are potentially many important differences in both SEP characteristics and community context, and we continue to compile data that will permit in-depth analyses of these factors and HIV risk and secondary exchange.…”