Irma Kirtadze1, David Otiashvili2, Mzia Tabatadze3, Irina Vardanashvili3, Lela Sturua4, Tomas Zabransky5, James C Anthony6. 1. Addiction Research Center, Alternative Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia. Electronic address: Irma@altgeorgia.ge. 2. Addiction Research Center, Alternative Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia. 3. Addiction Research Center, Alternative Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia; Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia. 4. National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia. 5. Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic. 6. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Validity of responses in surveys is an important research concern, especially in emerging market economies where surveys in the general population are a novelty, and the level of social control is traditionally higher. The Randomized Response Technique (RRT) can be used as a check on response validity when the study aim is to estimate population prevalence of drug experiences and other socially sensitive and/or illegal behaviors. AIM: To apply RRT and to study potential under-reporting of drug use in a nation-scale, population-based general population survey of alcohol and other drug use. METHODS: For this first-ever household survey on addictive substances for the Country of Georgia, we used the multi-stage probability sampling of 18-to-64-year-old household residents of 111 urban and 49 rural areas. During the interviewer-administered assessments, RRT involved pairing of sensitive and non-sensitive questions about drug experiences. RESULTS: Based upon the standard household self-report survey estimate, an estimated 17.3% [95% confidence interval, CI: 15.5%, 19.1%] of Georgian household residents have tried cannabis. The corresponding RRT estimate was 29.9% [95% CI: 24.9%, 34.9%]. The RRT estimates for other drugs such as heroin also were larger than the standard self-report estimates. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We remain unsure about what is the "true" value for prevalence of using illegal psychotropic drugs in the Republic of Georgia study population. Our RRT results suggest that standard non-RRT approaches might produce 'under-estimates' or at best, highly conservative, lower-end estimates.
BACKGROUND: Validity of responses in surveys is an important research concern, especially in emerging market economies where surveys in the general population are a novelty, and the level of social control is traditionally higher. The Randomized Response Technique (RRT) can be used as a check on response validity when the study aim is to estimate population prevalence of drug experiences and other socially sensitive and/or illegal behaviors. AIM: To apply RRT and to study potential under-reporting of drug use in a nation-scale, population-based general population survey of alcohol and other drug use. METHODS: For this first-ever household survey on addictive substances for the Country of Georgia, we used the multi-stage probability sampling of 18-to-64-year-old household residents of 111 urban and 49 rural areas. During the interviewer-administered assessments, RRT involved pairing of sensitive and non-sensitive questions about drug experiences. RESULTS: Based upon the standard household self-report survey estimate, an estimated 17.3% [95% confidence interval, CI: 15.5%, 19.1%] of Georgian household residents have tried cannabis. The corresponding RRT estimate was 29.9% [95% CI: 24.9%, 34.9%]. The RRT estimates for other drugs such as heroin also were larger than the standard self-report estimates. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We remain unsure about what is the "true" value for prevalence of using illegal psychotropic drugs in the Republic of Georgia study population. Our RRT results suggest that standard non-RRT approaches might produce 'under-estimates' or at best, highly conservative, lower-end estimates.
Authors: Hugo S Gomes; David P Farrington; Marvin D Krohn; Ana Cunha; Julia Jurdi; Bárbara Sousa; Diogo Morgado; Joseph Hoft; Elizabeth Hartsell; Leigh Kassem; Ângela Maia Journal: J Exp Criminol Date: 2022-09-21