Question

In a case-control study of the relationship between intravenous drug use and HIV infection, the investigators discovered after the study that the case group had tended to underreport their drug use due to fears arising from previous convictions for drug-related violations. Underreporting was not a problem in the control group, however, which was not under medical supervision at the time. What was the reason for underreporting of drug use in the case group?

1) Fear of being caught by the authorities
2) Lack of medical supervision
3) Previous convictions for drug-related violations
4) Lack of awareness about the study

Answer 1

The underreporting of drug use in the case group was mainly due to fear of repercussions from the authorities, connected to their past drug-related convictions. This fear affected the accuracy of the research on the relationship between intravenous drug use and HIV infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason for underreporting of drug use in the case group was primarily due to fear of being caught by the authorities because of previous convictions for drug-related violations. The individuals in the case group may have been concerned that admitting to intravenous drug use could lead to legal consequences or further scrutiny due to their past interactions with the law.

HIV infection risk in the context of intravenous drug use can be mitigated through harm-reduction strategies such as needle exchange programs. However, fear of legal repercussions might discourage users from participating in such programs or from honestly reporting their drug use in studies, thereby affecting the accuracy of data collected in research focused on identifying the relationship between drug use and HIV infection rates.

The reason for underreporting of drug use in the case group of the study is fear of being caught by the authorities. The case group consisted of individuals with previous convictions for drug-related violations, which created a fear of legal consequences. This fear led to a tendency to underreport their drug use.

In contrast, the control group was not under medical supervision at the time and did not have the same fears of being caught by the authorities, resulting in accurate reporting of drug use.