Correlates of Underreporting Recent Drug Use by Female Arrestees

Abstract

Much of the research literature on the validity of self-reported drug use, primarily drawn from studies of males in criminal justice and drug treatment populations, has focused on whether subjects positive for drug use by an objective measure such as urinalysis actually report recent drug use. Few studies have investigated correlates of underreporting in these populations. Using a sample of 437 female arrestees, we examined correlates of underreporting previously identified in the research literature. Findings suggest that female arrestees without prior treatment experience or charged with a nondrug offense were less likely to report recent cocaine use than their counterparts who had previously been in treatment or were charged with a drug offense. These correlates did not apply to recent heroin use. Some support was found for race as a correlate of underreporting. Implications of the findings for the measurement of drug use in arrestees are discussed.