Collecting substance use data with an anonymous mailed survey
Drug and Alcohol DependencePublished 1 October 1997
Alison M. Trinkoff, Carla L. Storr
Citations39
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.66
SNIP1.35
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
Analysis of sociodemographic effects on responding found certain groups required additional contacts, suggesting that anonymous mailed surveys can be a feasible means of collecting data on substance use.
Abstract
Because mailed surveys minimize personal contact, they are useful for collecting sensitive data on substance use, as long as the problems of achieving adequate response rates can be conquered. To address these issues, we report on an anonymous mailed survey of substance use with a 78% response rate, including data collection and survey methods. Analysis of sociodemographic effects on responding found certain groups required additional contacts. Substance use estimates were not affected by non-response bias, suggesting that anonymous mailed surveys can be a feasible means of collecting data on substance use.
Keywords
Social SciencesMedicine
JAMAHealth and behavioral consequences of binge drinking in college. A national survey of students at 140 campuses
1,428 Citations1994Henry Wechsler
Public Opinion QuarterlyAsking Sensitive Questions: The Impact of Data Collection Mode, Question Format, and Question Context
1,317 Citations1996Roger Tourangeau, Tom Smith
Annual Review of SociologyThe Design and Administration of Mail Surveys
1,253 Citations1991Don A. Dillman
American Sociological ReviewFactors Affecting Response Rates to Mailed Questionnaires: A Quantitative Analysis of the Published Literature
1,005 Citations1978Thomas A. Heberlein, Robert Baumgartner
Public Opinion QuarterlyInterview Mode Effects in Surveys of Drug and Alcohol Use: A Field Experiment
455 Citations1994William S. Aquilino
Journal of Drug IssuesThe Validity of Self-Reported Data on Drug Use
239 Citations1995Lana D. Harrison
Validation studies conducted prior to the mid-1980s involving known samples of drug users or urinalysis techniques showed that drug use was fairly accurately reported in self-report surveys, however, more recent validation studies conducted with criminal justice clients using improved urINALysis techniques suggest less concordance between urinalsysis and self- Report.
Public Opinion QuarterlyLarge Monetary Incentives and Their Effect on Mail Survey Response Rates
231 Citations1992Jeannine M. James, Richard Bolstein
Public Opinion QuarterlyEffects of Interview Mode on Self-Reported Drug Use
202 Citations1990William S. Aquilino, Leonard A. Lo Sciuto
Journal of Studies on AlcoholValidity and reliability of self-reported drinking behavior: dealing with the problem of response bias.
186 Citations1993Bryan G. Embree, Paul C. Whitehead
It is concluded that questions that produce valid and reliable responses do so for identifiable reasons, and measurement instruments can be improved by incorporating particular features.
American Journal of EpidemiologyDIFFICULT-TO-RECRUIT RESPONDENTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON PREVALENCE ESTIMATES IN AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC SURVEY
135 Citations1987Linda B. Cottler, John F. Zipp +2 more
Being young, male, black, a nonrural resident, educated, and full-time employed were the demographic characteristics associated with increased contact efforts in the first wave of the St. Louis Epidemiologic Catchment Area project.
Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental ResearchInfluence of Socially Desirable Responding in a Study of Stress and Substance Abuse
131 Citations1993John W. Welte, Marcia Russell
It was concluded that social desirability response bias probably results in underestimates of rates of heavy drinking and drug use, but does not compromise the study of predictors of heavy drinkers or drug use.
Public Opinion QuarterlyWhen Four Months Equal a Year: Inconsistencies in Student Reports of Drug Use
93 Citations1981Jerald G. Bachman, Patrick M. O’Malley
American Journal of Public HealthEnhancing the self-report of alcohol consumption in the community: two questionnaire formats.
70 Citations1994Abby C. King
The results suggest that food frequency questionnaires may provide a better means for enhancing self-report of alcohol use than questionnaires that target solely alcohol intake.
International Journal of the AddictionsMethods for Assessing Drug Use Prevalence in the Workplace: A Comparison of Self-Report, Urinalysis, and Hair Analysis
61 Citations1995Royer F. Cook, Alan D. Bernstein +3 more
Although self- Reports produced the highest drug use prevalence rate, analyses combining the results of the three assessment methods showed that the actual prevalence rate was approximately 50% higher than the estimate produced by self-reports.
Journal of the American Statistical AssociationThe Finite-Population Linear Regression Estimator and Estimators of its Variance—An Empirical Study
59 Citations1981Richard M. Royall, William G. Cumberland
American Journal of Public HealthResponses to anonymous questionnaires concerning sexual behavior: a method to examine potential biases.
58 Citations1992Robert J. Biggar, Mads Melbye
This method provides a simple, inexpensive approach to improving response rates and learning about the biases of reluctant responders and nonresponders.
American Journal of Public HealthAssessment of drug abuser treatment needs in Rhode Island.
34 Citations1991William McAuliffe, P Breer +2 more
The RI Department of Health's certificate-of-need program adopted the overall recommendation for tripling the drug treatment system as its guideline in evaluating proposals for new treatment facilities.
Drug and Alcohol DependenceRelationship of specialty and access to substance use among registered nurses: an exploratory analysis
30 Citations1994Alison M. Trinkoff, Carla L. Storr
This study presents the first empirical evidence that working in a critical care specialty combined with easy workplace access to drugs is associated with a high likelihood of illicit drug use among nurses.
EpidemiologyRisk Factors for Functional Ovarian Cysts
23 Citations1996Fabio Parazzini, Simona Moroni +4 more
Using coded postcards to be returned separately from completed instruments appears to lower the response rate to anonymous mail surveys, but it also lowers cost and may not introduce additional bias.
Journal of Advanced NursingA comparison of substance use rates among female nurses, clerical workers and blue‐collar workers
22 Citations1995Linda K. Blazer, Phyllis Kernoff Mansfield
Survey data from 920 nurses, 405 clerical workers and 200 females employed in non-traditional trades jobs in two large eastern states in the US revealed that there was little evidence of 'abuse' of any of 15 substances, and most reported substance use occurred in the younger age groups, reflecting the national trend.
Addictive BehaviorsAgreement between two measures of drug use in a low-prevalence population
20 Citations1991Lynne Hancock, Debby Hennrikus +4 more
While self-report of substance use is not a perfect measure of consumption, it remains a relatively economical and reasonably accurate method of obtaining estimates of substance Use in community samples.
Nursing ResearchIncorporating Auxiliary Variables Into Probability Sampling Designs
14 Citations1997Alison M. Trinkoff, Carla L. Storr
Journal of Addictions NursingPersonal Drug and Alcohol Use by Staff Nurses at Work
7 Citations1993Linda M. Finke, Lillian C. Hickman +1 more
The nursing profession is now moving toward developing resources adequate to address the problem of chemically dependent nurses, and many state nurses’ associations have developed programs to assist nurses who are chemically dependent.