Socially desirable response tendency as a correlate of accuracy of self-reported HIV serostatus for HIV seropositive injection drug users.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the accuracy of self-reported HIV serostatus for injection drug users and the predictive validity of a measure of social desirability to detect inaccurate self-reports.


METHODS
Participants in the ALIVE study were provided testing for HIV antibodies and counseling every 6 months. In the separate SAFE study, the same volunteers were asked their HIV serostatus.


METHODS
The 348 active injection drug users recruited from the ALIVE study, a longitudinal study of the natural history of HIV among injection drug users, volunteered for an HIV prevention study (SAFE study).


METHODS
The ALIVE baseline interview included a scale to measure "self-deception", a dimension of socially desirable responding.


RESULTS
Of one hundred and four HIV seropositive participants, 71 (68%) accurately reported their HIV status, 28 (27%) inaccurately reported their HIV serostatus, and five (5%) reported that they did not know or were not sure about their HIV serostatus. Of 242 HIV seronegative participants, 239 (98%) correctly reported their serostatus. Thus the sensitivity of self-report was 72%, specificity 99%, positive predictive value 97%, and the negative predictive value was 90%. For individuals who scored at or below the median on self-deception, the sensitivity of self-reported HIV serostatus was 81%.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that high scores on some measures of social desirability may indicate questionable validity of self-reported HIV serostatus.
Latkin
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CA
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. clatkin@ihsph.edu
Vlahov
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D
D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012928:Social Desirability; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*