Representativeness of Patients Enrolled in a Primary Care Clinical Trial for Substance Use Disorders

• Main Author: Kelpin, Sydney S
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2016
• Subjects: SBIRT; substance use; representativeness; generalizability; Clinical Psychology
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4594; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5628&context=etd

Understanding the characteristics of research participants is crucial to ensuring sample representativeness and generalizability of findings to broader patient groups with substance use disorders. Using anonymous computer-administered health survey data, the present study had a unique opportunity to compare patients who chose to participate in an RCT for heavy/problem drinking or drug use (N=713; consenters) with those that chose not to participate (N=625; non-consenters). The sample was 40% male, 76% African American, and had a mean age of 45.2 years. Using multivariate regression, the most parsimonious model found older age, unemployment, prescription misuse, positive screen for drug problems (CAGE), having a grandmother with an alcohol problem, trouble falling asleep (past 30 days), health professional recommendation to go on a diet, and feeling unsafe due to a previous partner were all associated with consenting to participate. The present study provides benchmark data on sample representativeness in a clinical trial of SBIRT.