@article{ref1,
title="Republic of Georgia estimates for prevalence of drug use: randomized response techniques suggest under-estimation",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2018",
author="Kirtadze, Irma and Otiashvili, David and Tabatadze, Mzia and Vardanashvili, Irina and Sturua, Lela and Zabranský, Tomas and Anthony, James C.",
volume="187",
number="",
pages="300-304",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Validity of responses in surveys is an important research concern, especially in emerging market economies where surveys in the general population are a novelty, and the level of social control is traditionally higher. The Randomized Response Technique (RRT) can be used as a check on response validity when the study aim is to estimate population prevalence of drug experiences and other socially sensitive and/or illegal behaviors. <br><br>AIM: To apply RRT and to study potential under-reporting of drug use in a nation-scale, population-based general population survey of alcohol and other drug use. <br><br>METHODS: For this first-ever household survey on addictive substances for the Country of Georgia, we used the multi-stage probability sampling of 18-to-64-year-old household residents of 111 urban and 49 rural areas. During the interviewer-administered assessments, RRT involved pairing of sensitive and non-sensitive questions about drug experiences. <br><br>RESULTS: Based upon the standard household self-report survey estimate, an estimated 17.3% [95% confidence interval, CI: 15.5%, 19.1%] of Georgian household residents have tried cannabis. The corresponding RRT estimate was 29.9% [95% CI: 24.9%, 34.9%]. The RRT estimates for other drugs such as heroin also were larger than the standard self-report estimates. <br><br>DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We remain unsure about what is the &quot;true&quot; value for prevalence of using illegal psychotropic drugs in the Republic of Georgia study population. Our RRT results suggest that standard non-RRT approaches might produce 'under-estimates' or at best, highly conservative, lower-end estimates.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.019",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.019"
}