AEGiS-10IAC: Reliability & validity of drug users' self-report of risk.

10th International AIDS Conference

Yokohama, Japan — Aug 7-12, 1994

Reliability & validity of drug users' self-report of risk.

Int Conf AIDS 1994 Aug 7-12; 10:402 (abstract no. PD0791)
Dowling-Guyer S, Johnson M, Fisher D, Andersen M, Watters J, Williams M, Kotranski L, Booth R, Rhodes F, Weatherby N; Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, University of Alaska, Anchorage.

OBJECTIVE: Examined the reliability and validity of the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA), a structured interview designed to evaluate drug and sexual HIV risk behaviors of intravenous and other drug users.

METHODS: Subjects were 222 drug users currently not in treatment who completed the RBA two times over a 48 hour period and gave urine samples at both times. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were examined.

RESULTS: Drug users reliably report drug use and sexual behavior, although the reliability of specific needle practice and sexual behavior items was somewhat lower. Validity results indicate that drug users accurately report cocaine and heroin use.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that this self-report structured interview instrument reliably and accurately measure HIV risk behaviors in a drug-using population and is an appropriate measure for use with this population.

Keywords: AEGIS, Risk-Taking, Data Collection, Crack Cocaine, Substance-Related Disorders, Risk Assessment, Cocaine, Needles, methods, ICA10
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PD0791