Inconsistent Reporting of Alcohol Use Among Adolescents: Implications for Survey Validity

Inconsistent reporting can bias research findings. However, cross-sectional research on adolescents' alcohol consumption seldom addresses this issue. This study estimated the percentage of inconsistent reporters of alcohol use (AU) and inebriation experience (IE) among adolescents, identified correlates of inconsistent reporting, and examined how excluding inconsistent reporters affects AU and IE prevalence and the relationship between life satisfaction and both AU and IE. Data came from five surveys conducted quadrennially from 2006 to 2022 involving 42,772 adolescents aged 11-18. Measures of AU and IE varied across waves. Inconsistent reporting was identified through logical contradictions. The overall percentage of inconsistent reporters was about 19%, ranging from 2.6% in 2022 to 31.4% in 2014. Although no clear pattern emerged across time or analytic approaches, sex and school type were generally associated with inconsistent reporting. Effect sizes were small, however. Excluding inconsistent reporters mainly affected the prevalence of abstainers, very occasional users, and participants reporting no or very few IEs. It shifted the statistical significance status of 17.5% of the associations between life satisfaction and both AU and IE. In sum, inconsistent reporting compromises the validity of AU research and should be systematically addressed. Studies neglecting this issue should be interpreted cautiously.