Self reported risk behaviour among injecting drug users: Self versus assisted questionnaire completion

Abstract

The current study aimed to compare self-reported injecting and sexual risk behaviour among Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) attendees who self-completed a questionnaire to that of those who received assistance in completing the questionnaire. Information on demographic, injecting and sexual risk behaviour was collected via a self-completed questionnaire for an annual cross-sectional survey of injecting drug users (IDUs) recruited from sentinel NSPs around Australia. Assistance was provided when necessary and recorded. Of 2,035 participants, 1,452 (71%) reported completing the questionnaire without assistance. Being male and nominating a language other than English spoken at home was independently associated with receiving assistance with questionnaire completion. Participants who reported heroin as the drug last injected were also more likely to receive assistance. Multivariate analyses revealed those who received assistance with questionnaire completion were less likely to report re-using a syringe after someone else and less likely to report sex work in the past month. The current findings suggest self-completion of risk behaviour questionnaires should be considered as an alternative to interviewer administered questionnaires to maximise accuracy of self-reports.

Acknowledgments

This study was carried out on behalf of the Collaboration of Australian NSPs—Drug Referral and Information Centre, Canberra; Albury Community Health Centre; Western Sydney AIDS Prevention Service, Auburn, Blacktown and Parramatta; Indo-Chinese Outreach Network (ICON), Bankstown and Liverpool; Resource and Education Program for IDUs (REPIDU), Canterbury and Redfern; K2 Health Service, Kings Cross; Kirketon Road Centre, Kings Cross; St George Needle and Syringe Program (NSP), Kogarah; The Exchange, Manly; Hunter NSP Services, Royal Newcastle Hospital; Northern Rivers Area Health Service; Wentworth HIV and Sexual Health Service, Penrith; First Step Program, Port Kembla; Northern Territory AIDS Council, Darwin and Palmerston; Biala Community Alcohol and Drug Services, Brisbane; Queensland Intravenous and AIDS Association (QuIVAA), Brisbane; Cairns Base Hospital; Drug Users Network Education and Support (DUNES); West Moreton Sexual Health Service, Ipswich; Sunshine Coast Intravenous and AIDS Association (SCIVAA); Parks Community Health Service, Adelaide; South Australia Voice for Intravenous Education (SAVIVE) AIDS Council, Adelaide; Nunkuwarrin Yunti Community Health Centre, Adelaide; Hindmarsh Centre, Hindmarsh; Noarlunga Community Health Service, Noarlunga; Northern Metropolitan Community Health Service NSP and Shopfront, Salisbury; Devonport Community Health Centre, Devonport; NuFIT, Glenorchy; Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD), Hobart; Melbourne Inner Needle Exchange (MINE), Collingwood; Dandenong South East Alcohol and Drug Service; Footscray Health Works; Southern Hepatitis/HIV/AIDS Resource and Prevention Service (SHARPS), Melbourne; St Kilda NSP; Western Australia Substance Users Association (WASUA), Bunbury and Northbridge; WA AIDS Council Mobile Exchange, Perth.