Examining the reliability of alcohol/drug use and HIV-risk behaviors using Timeline Follow-Back in a pilot sample

Research on the course of substance use disorders (SUDs) faces challenges in assessing behavior over lengthy time periods. Calendar-based methods, like the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), may overcome these challenges. This study assessed the reliability of self-reported weekly alcohol use, drug use an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of substance use 2016-05, Vol.21 (3), p.294-297
Main Authors: Wray, Tyler B., Braciszewski, Jordan M., Zywiak, William H., Stout, Robert L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
assessment
drug use
HIV risk
measurement
sexual behavior
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Summary:Research on the course of substance use disorders (SUDs) faces challenges in assessing behavior over lengthy time periods. Calendar-based methods, like the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), may overcome these challenges. This study assessed the reliability of self-reported weekly alcohol use, drug use and HIV-risk behaviors over the past 90 days using an interview TLFB. Individuals with SUD in outpatient treatment (N = 26) completed the TLFB at baseline and then a week later with separate interviewers. Weekly ratings were aggregated across 4-week intervals for each administration. Intra-class correlations were used to compare agreement between the two administrations. Reliabilities for alcohol and drug use ratings ranged from good to excellent for most drug categories (ICCs = 0.76-1.00), except opioid use (other than heroin) and sedative use produced sub-standard reliabilities (ICCs = 0.29-0.74). HIV-risk behavior reliabilities also ranged from good to excellent (ICCs = 0.70-0.97), but were substandard for the number of casual sex partners for some intervals (ICCs = 0.29, 0.63). Findings extend support for the use of TLFB to produce reliable assessments of many drugs and HIV-risk behaviors across longitudinal intervals.
ISSN:1465-9891
1475-9942
DOI:10.3109/14659891.2015.1018974