National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

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Years Survey Included

Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM)-related Questions

2015-Present

Survey Description

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual nationwide survey that provides national and state-level data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs (including non-medical use of prescription drugs) and mental health in the United States.

Older woman grabbing medicine from a medicine cabinet

The primary objectives of NSDUH are to provide accurate data on the level and patterns of alcohol, tobacco and illegal substance use and abuse, track trends in the use of alcohol, tobacco and various types of drugs, assess the consequences of substance use and abuse and identify those groups at high risk for substance abuse.

The SGM-related questions are included in the Back-End Demographics and Household Roster sections of the survey.

Survey Sample Population

Every year, approximately 70,000 individuals will be randomly selected from all over the United States and asked to participate. NSDUH collects information from residents of households and noninstitutionalized group quarters (e.g., shelters, rooming houses, dormitories) and from civilians living on military bases, ages 12 and older. The survey excludes homeless persons who do not use shelters, military personnel on active duty, and residents of institutional group quarters, such as jails and hospitals. Sexual orientation and identity questions are asked only for respondents ages 18 and older.

Survey Mode

Each year, SAMHSA selects a survey research organization to administer the NSDUH. Then, a professional interviewer personally visits each selected person to administer the interview using a laptop computer.

Most of the survey questions are administered with audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) as to provide the respondent with a highly private and confidential mode for responding about illicit drug use and other sensitive behaviors. Less sensitive items are administered by interviewers using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI).

SGM-Related Survey Questions

Sexual Identity

(QD63) [IF CURNTAGE = 18 OR OLDER]

Which one of the following do you consider yourself to be?

Heterosexual, that is, straight
[If R is female then Lesbian or] Gay
Bisexual
(Don’t Know)
(Refused)
Question History: This is the only version of the question that has been used.

Sexual Attraction

(QD62) [IF CURNTAGE = 18 OR OLDER]

People are different in their sexual attraction to other people. Which statement best describes your feelings?

[If R is male]
[If R is female]
I am only attracted to females
I am only attracted to males
I am mostly attracted to females
I am mostly attracted to males
I am equally attracted to females and males
I am equally attracted to males and females
I am not sure
I am not sure
Don't know
Don't know
Refused
Refused
Question History: This is the only version of the question that has been used.

Sexual Behavior

There are currently no questions asked in this category.

Gender Identity

There are currently no questions asked in this category. Gender is subjectively assigned by interviewer.

Household Relationships

PERAGEYR [IF QD54 = 2 - 25]

Now I need some additional information about each person who lives here.

PERYRSEX [IF PERAGEYR = 2 - 110]

Is the [PERAGEYR FILL]-year old person male or female?

5 MALE
9 FEMALE
DK/REF

PERSEX [IF PERAGEYR = DK/REF]

Is this person a male or a female?

5 MALE
9 FEMALE
DK/REF

MRELATON

[IF CHMONSEX OR CHYRSEX OR PERYRSEX OR PERSEX = 5] HAND R SHOWCARD 6.

Please look at this card and tell me which category best describes his relationship to you.

INTERVIEWER NOTE: If it is clear to you that the respondent is talking about/rostering themselves, you may say “Is that you?” If the answer is Yes, enter “1" for “SELF”. Exchange families (exchange students or people who are hosting exchange students) should be considered “other non-relatives.”
1 SELF
2 FATHER (INCLUDES STEP, FOSTER, ADOPTIVE)
3 SON (INCLUDES STEP, FOSTER, ADOPTIVE)
4 BROTHER (INCLUDES HALF, STEP, FOSTER, ADOPTIVE)
5 HUSBAND
6 UNMARRIED PARTNER
7 HOUSEMATE OR ROOMMATE
8 SON-IN-LAW
9 GRANDSON
10 FATHER-IN-LAW
11 GRANDFATHER
12 BOARDER OR ROOMER
13 OTHER RELATIVE
14 OTHER NON-RELATIVE
DK/REF
Question History: These are the only questions that have been used.

Response Rates

Below are the response rates and sample sizes for the 2015 NSDUH. They are organized by the demographic characteristics of the participants.

Response Rates and Sample Sizes for 2015 NSDUHs, by Demographic Characteristics

Demographic Characteristic
Selected Individuals
Completed Interviews
Weighted Response Rate
TOTAL
94,499
68,073
69.25%
AGE IN YEARS
12-17
21,859
16,955
77.66%
18-25
23,211
17,215
74.45%
26 or Older
49,429
33,903
67.36%
GENDER
Male
46,348
32,484
67.19%
Female
48,151
35,589
71.21%
RACE/ETHNICITY
Hispanic
16,294
12,291
72.31%
White
58,741
41,176
67.94%
Black
10,704
8,435
76.08%
All Other Races
8,760
6,171
63.10%
REGION
Northeast
18,988
13,026
65.61%
Midwest
22,523
15,890
68.39%
South
30,920
22,768
70.93%
West
22,239
16,389
70.09%
COUNTY TYPE
Large Metropolitan
43,046
30,275
67.59%
Small Metropolitan
32,319
23,361
71.17%
Nonmetropolitan
19,134
14,147
71.50%

NOTE: Estimates are based on demographic information obtained from screener data and are not consistent with estimates on demographic characteristics presented in the 2015 set of detailed tables.

Source: SAMHSA, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2015.

Survey Links

Questionnaires

This survey can be found under ‘Methodology & Questionnaires’ tab, by clicking on ‘NSDUH Methodological Resource Book (MRB)’.

https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health

Data

This information can be found on the main NSDUH website under ‘Survey Data’. Under ‘Survey Data’, the results from 2018 can be accessed by choosing ‘Latest Survey Results’. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2018-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-nsduh-releases 

From the SAMHSA homepage, results can be accessed by clicking the ‘Data’ subhead and choosing ‘National Survey on Drug Use and Health’ under the “Learn More About Our Data” section. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health 

Also, on the SAMHSA website, reports and detailed tables from the 2015 NSDUH can be accessed by choosing ‘2015 NSDUH Releases.’ Once on this page, go to the ‘Detailed Tables’ section to find the tables for this year. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/results-2015-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-detailed-tables  

General Information: https://nsduhweb.rti.org/respweb/about_nsduh.html

FAQ’s: https://nsduhweb.rti.org/respweb/faq.html

References

About Population Data/NSDUH. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health

National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Service Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. RTI International. (2017)
https://nsduhweb.rti.org/respweb/homepage.cfm

RTI International. Research Triangle Institute. (2017)
http://www.rti.org/about-us

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09/06/2023 04:51 PM
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