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Comparing two different approaches to measuring drug use within the same survey.
1Research Department, SCO Health Service, University of Ottawa Institute on Care of the Elderly, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 5C8. Ineutel@scohs.on.ca
Chronic Diseases in Canada
|February 15, 2001
Summary
This study compared two drug use survey questions, finding significant discrepancies in self-reported medication use. Careful survey design is crucial for accurate health data collection.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Survey Methodology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Accurate self-reported medication use is vital for public health surveillance.
- Previous research indicates potential discrepancies in survey responses regarding drug consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare responses from two distinct drug use questions in a large Canadian population health survey.
- To identify and quantify discrepancies between general drug use categories and specific medication reporting.
Main Methods:
- Cross-tabulation of responses from 62,588 adults (aged 20+) from the 1996-97 National Population Health Survey.
- Analysis of discrepancies between "past month" general drug use and "last two days" specific medication recall.
- Logistic regression models to explore respondent characteristics associated with discrepancies.
Main Results:
- Discrepancies varied significantly, from 4.8% for insulin/oral hypoglycemics to 43.7% for narcotic analgesics.
- No clear pattern of respondent characteristics was associated with reporting discrepancies.
- The findings highlight inconsistencies in how individuals report medication use based on survey question framing.
Conclusions:
- Survey questions about drug use need careful planning to align with desired information.
- Discrepancies suggest limitations in recall and question design impacting medication use data accuracy.
- Future health surveys should consider question wording and structure to minimize reporting inconsistencies.