John S Briney1, Eric C Brown2, Margaret R Kuklinski3, Sabrina Oesterle3, J David Hawkins3. 1. Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: jsbriney@uw.edu. 2. Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida. 3. Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Concern that asking about a specific behavior could elicit that behavior is often cited as a reason that communities and schools should not administer surveys about youth drug use. In this study, we investigated if this question-behavior effect exists related to substance use. We examined if simply asking a student about their current drug use leads to an increase in drug use 1 year later. METHOD: This study tests the validity of the question-behavior effect on youth drug use in a longitudinal panel of 2,002 elementary school students. The sample of students was drawn from the Community Youth Development Study, a community-randomized test of the Communities That Care prevention system. If the prevalence of self-reported drug use in sixth grade in a sample surveyed in fifth and sixth grades was higher than in an accretion sample surveyed only in sixth grade, the difference could indicate a question-behavior effect. RESULTS: Results from logistic regression analyses did not provide any evidence of a question-behavior effect on 30-day or lifetime prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, inhalant, or marijuana use reported in sixth grade. CONCLUSIONS: Asking youth about drug use in a survey did not increase the rates of self-reported drug use measured 1 year later. The absence of evidence of a question-behavior effect should ease concerns of communities and schools when administering surveys asking youth about their drug use.
PURPOSE: Concern that asking about a specific behavior could elicit that behavior is often cited as a reason that communities and schools should not administer surveys about youth drug use. In this study, we investigated if this question-behavior effect exists related to substance use. We examined if simply asking a student about their current drug use leads to an increase in drug use 1 year later. METHOD: This study tests the validity of the question-behavior effect on youth drug use in a longitudinal panel of 2,002 elementary school students. The sample of students was drawn from the Community Youth Development Study, a community-randomized test of the Communities That Care prevention system. If the prevalence of self-reported drug use in sixth grade in a sample surveyed in fifth and sixth grades was higher than in an accretion sample surveyed only in sixth grade, the difference could indicate a question-behavior effect. RESULTS: Results from logistic regression analyses did not provide any evidence of a question-behavior effect on 30-day or lifetime prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, inhalant, or marijuana use reported in sixth grade. CONCLUSIONS: Asking youth about drug use in a survey did not increase the rates of self-reported drug use measured 1 year later. The absence of evidence of a question-behavior effect should ease concerns of communities and schools when administering surveys asking youth about their drug use.
Authors: Mark A Ilgen; John Schulenberg; Deborah D Kloska; Ewa Czyz; Lloyd Johnston; Patrick O'Malley Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2011-08-16 Impact factor: 3.913
Authors: Eric C Brown; John W Graham; J David Hawkins; Michael W Arthur; Megan M Baldwin; Sabrina Oesterle; John S Briney; Richard F Catalano; Robert D Abbott Journal: Eval Rev Date: 2009-06-09
Authors: Angela M Rodrigues; Nicola O'Brien; David P French; Liz Glidewell; Falko F Sniehotta Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2014-08-18 Impact factor: 4.267