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CBHSQ Methodology Report
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration .
Multiple federally funded surveys collect data on tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among adolescents. Seemingly similar measures in these surveys may yield different estimates of substance use among adolescents. This study can provide information on possible reasons for any differences in estimates among the surveys, how to interpret trends and patterns in substance use, and how to best analyze these data.
This methodology report describes and compares adolescent substance use data from the 2002 to 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a U.S. household survey, and two school-based surveys: the 2002 to 2008 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, and the 2003, 2005, and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Where these surveys yield different estimates of substance use, this report examines possible reasons for these differences. The goals of this study are (1) to compare overall estimates, subgroup patterns, and trends over time among the different surveys; (2) to help users understand the reasons for differences in these estimates; (3) to facilitate accurate interpretation of results from these surveys; and (4) to improve the understanding of the true nature and extent of youth substance use in the United States.
In most instances, NSDUH estimates of substance use for adolescents enrolled in school were lower than corresponding estimates from MTF and YRBS. In addition, YRBS estimates for 10th and 12th graders tended to be higher than MTF estimates. However, the three surveys generally show similar findings in which subgroups of adolescents have relatively higher or lower substance use estimates. Also, NSDUH and MTF, which are conducted annually, generally provide similar findings about changes over time (i.e., trends) in the prevalence cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use among 12th graders.
The methodological differences among the surveys include the setting (i.e., household vs. school) and the responding populations. NSDUH estimates generally were consistent with the hypothesis that youths who have used substances tend to underreport their use in household interview settings if their interviews are not private. Because YRBS and MTF estimate substance use for in-school youth they do not include dropouts. In general, YRBS and MTF estimates for youths in school align closely with overall youth estimates, except for those subpopulations and substances that have higher rates of absenteeism and dropouts and higher substance use.
Because of the many methodological differences among NSDUH, MTF, and YRBS, this methodology report does not conclude that estimates of substance use among adolescents from any one of these surveys are more accurate than estimates from another. Each survey has definite strengths and limitations. The multiple methodological differences all can contribute to differences in estimates across these surveys.
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Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2012). Comparing and evaluating youth substance use estimates from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and other surveys. HHS Publication No. SMA 12-4727, Methodology Series M-9. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD.
The CBHSQ Methodology Report is prepared by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
Prepared by RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
RTI International is a registered trademark and a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Citation of the source is appreciated. However, this publication may not be reproduced or distributed for a fee without the specific, written authorization of the Office of Communications, SAMHSA, HHS.
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