A Ratio Estimation Method For Determining The Prevalence Of Cocaine Use

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Ratio Estimation Method For Determining The Prevalence Of Cocaine Use

AU - Gossop, M

AU - Strang, J

AU - Griffiths, P

AU - Powis, B

AU - Taylor, C

PY - 1994/5

Y1 - 1994/5

N2 - This paper presents an approach to estimating the prevalence of cocaine use, based upon a new ratio estimation technique. This method can be applied to random samples of overlapping populations for which no sampling frames exist. When the ratio estimation method is applied to the two study samples (drawn from populations of people using cocaine and people using heroin) the ratio of cocaine users to heroin users (C/H) was 1.55, with a 95% confidence interval of +/-0.48. Such estimates should be applied with caution. However, if used with reference to national estimates of about 75 000 heroin users, application of the present estimate suggests that there may be about 116 000 cocaine users in the UK.

AB - This paper presents an approach to estimating the prevalence of cocaine use, based upon a new ratio estimation technique. This method can be applied to random samples of overlapping populations for which no sampling frames exist. When the ratio estimation method is applied to the two study samples (drawn from populations of people using cocaine and people using heroin) the ratio of cocaine users to heroin users (C/H) was 1.55, with a 95% confidence interval of +/-0.48. Such estimates should be applied with caution. However, if used with reference to national estimates of about 75 000 heroin users, application of the present estimate suggests that there may be about 116 000 cocaine users in the UK.

U2 - 10.1192/bjp.164.5.676

DO - 10.1192/bjp.164.5.676

M3 - Comment/debate

SN - 0007-1250

VL - 164

SP - 676

EP - 679

JO - British Journal of Psychiatry

JF - British Journal of Psychiatry

IS - 5

M1 - N/A

ER -