Assessing age-of-onset data on substance use among New York State public secondary school students.
This study was designed to assess the quality of age-of-onset data obtained in a state-wide secondary school survey on substance use. A representative sample (8,553), consisting of New York State students in public secondary schools (Grades 7-12) responded to a questionnaire during winter 1974/75. For each of eight substances, a parallel comparison was performed. The ages of onset for students of different current ages (12-17) were compared. All substances except alcohol and tobacco displayed similar patterns of age-of-onset response. The apparent discrepancies for alcohol and tobacco may be due to either a real instability in the age-of-onset pattern or to a recall error. The results of the study suggest that retrospective questions may provide useful information, particularly when they relate to memorable events.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking; D013334:Students; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs