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A Comparison of Self-Reported Drug Use With a Urine Drug Screen in a Working Population

Abstract:

This study summarizes information on 162 workers who completed a urine screen and self-report concerning drug use. It is the first to compare self-report of drug use in the workplace with a urine screen in which individual participant (nonaggregate) data were used. The findings indicate that agreement between the 2 methods of drug detection, although statistically significant, is at best only moderate. The level of agreement was consistent for segments of the sample when divided by sociodemographic characteristics. Although urine screen may be the more reliable and accurate method for detecting prevalence of drug use, self-report must be considered to assess drug use histories and the role of other variables. These 2 methods should be considered as complementary assessment techniques; the appropriate method depends on the conditions and purposes of the drug use study. © 1995 American Psychological Association.