Statistical methods for evaluating the correlation between timeline follow-back data and daily process data with applications to research on alcohol and marijuana use

Abstract

Background: Retrospective timeline follow-back (TLFB) data and prospective daily process data have been frequently collected in addiction research to characterize behavioral patterns.Although previous validity studies have demonstrated high correlations between these two types of data, the conventional method adopted in those studies was based on summary measures that may lose critical information and the Pearson's correlation coefficient that has an undesirable property. This study proposes the functional concordance correlation coefficient to address these issues. Methods:We use real data collected from a randomized experiment to demonstrate the applications of the proposed method and compare its analytical results with those of the conventional method. We also conduct a simulation study based on the real data to evaluate the level of overestimation associated with the conventional method. Results:The results of the real data example indicate that the correlation between these two types of data varies across substances (alcohol vs. marijuana) and assessment schedules (daily vs.

Risk Factors Associated with Simultaneous Use of Alcohol and Prescription Opioids Among Young Adults in Michigan

“…Future studies should consider choosing a representative sampling strategy (e.g., probability sampling; Jeong et al, 2018) and clearly defining the population of interest to further ensure external validity. Lastly, we used self-reported measurements and future studies might consider collecting prospective daily data and retrospective timeline follow-back data that may provide a more nuanced understanding of simultaneous substance use and substance use-related problems (Liu et al, 2019;Pedersen et al, 2012). Further research is also needed to identify effective components of interventions to reduce simultaneous use of alcohol and prescription opioids among young adults.…”

Patterns of opioid use in adolescents receiving prescriptions: The role of psychological and pain factors.

“…Stone, Shiffman, Schwartz, Broderick, & Hufford, 2003). Recent substance use literature also indicates that daily reports of use are preferable to retrospective reports, particularly in substances with variability in daily use (Liu et al, 2019) and that diary assessment of pain medication use is preferred over retrospective self-report (Dunn, Jordan, & Croft, 2010). While there are some limitations of the included diary data (e.g., data is available only for days youth completed it) use of this methodology itself is a significant strength.…”

Social and cultural determinants of health; understanding the persisting Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the rural populations in central Kenya

“…The most frequently used screening tool is the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) [6]. The quantity and frequency of alcohol intake is based on self-reports involving calendar methods, particularly the alcohol Timeline Follow Back calendar (TLFB) [7]. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire (MINI), based on DSM IV/ICD 10, is a recommended tool for clinical assessment of 13 psychiatric conditions including AUD, however, this tool has to be administered by trained medical personnel; MINI is a gold standard for the diagnosis of AUD in the context of clinical psychiatric assessments [6].…”

“…In Kenya, it appears to have a marked effect, creating dysfunctional and emotionally stunted families. Central region has a history of excessive alcohol consumption and idleness due the high unemployment rate that hits the area [7],[10]. The situation has gone from bad to worse: the women in the province have staged several protest demonstrations in a bid to stop brewers from selling alcoholic drinks to their husbands and sons who have become economically and socially unproductive because of spending most of their valuable time drinking alcohol instead of engaging in other productive activities.…”