Interviewing Minority Youth About Drug Use: Telephone vs. In-Person Surveys

Abstract

As compared with face-to-face interviews about drug use, telephone interviews introduce sampling bias in that they exclude nontelephone households and are also more susceptible to certain response biases (e.g., underreporting, social desirability). The present study suggests that these biases may be particularly confounding for drug use surveys involving minority youth (age 18-25). Estimates of the prevalence of drug use, especially among minority populations, should correct for these systematic selection and mode-of-interview biases.

Key Words:

• Drug use
• Epidemiology
• Methodology
• Telephone survey
• Response bias
• Minority