Validity of injecting drug users' self report of hepatitis A, B, and C.
OBJECTIVE
To test the validity of drug users self-reports of diseases associated with drug use, in this case hepatitis A, B, and C.


METHODS
Injecting drug users (n = 653) were recruited and asked whether they had been diagnosed previously with hepatitis A, B, and/or C. These self-report data were compared to total hepatitis A antibody, hepatitis B core antibody, and hepatitis C antibody seromarkers as a means of determining the validity of the self-reported information.


METHODS
Anchorage, Alaska.


METHODS
Criteria for inclusion included being at least 18-years old; testing positive on urinalysis for cocaine metabolites, amphetamine, or morphine; having visible signs of injection (track marks).


METHODS
Serological testing for hepatitis A, B, and C.


RESULTS
Findings indicate high specificity, low sensitivity, and low kappa coefficients for all three self-report measures.


RESULTS
Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in sensitivity associated with previous substance abuse treatment experience for hepatitis B self-report and with gender for hepatitis C self-report.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the low sensitivity, the validity of drug users, self-reported information on hepatitis should be considered with caution.
Schlicting
Erin G
EG
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
Johnson
Mark E
ME
Brems
Christiane
C
Wells
Rebecca S
RS
Fisher
Dennis G
DG
Reynolds
Grace
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology*