Associations between adolescent drinking and driving involvement and self-reported risk and protective factors in students in public schools in Washington State.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines associations between self-reported drinking and driving or being a passenger of a drinking driver and risk and protective factors in a general population of adolescents.


METHODS
We used a two-staged sampling procedure to survey 2,955 students in Washington State public schools in Grades 9-12. Students were asked if they were a passenger of, or had been, a drinking driver in the previous month. They were also asked about individual, parent, school and community risk and protective factors. Comparisons were made using hierarchical polychotomous logistic regression, entering age and gender and parent, school and community protective factors at the first step and individual risk factors at the second step.


RESULTS
Driving after drinking in the previous month was reported by 12.1% of respondents and riding with a drinking driver was reported by an additional 17.6% of respondents. At the first step, driving after drinking was more likely and riding with a drinking driver was less likely among youth who were age 16 or older, and male students were more likely than female students to report driving after drinking. Parent, school and community support were each significantly associated with less driving after drinking, and school support was significantly associated with less riding with drinking drivers. At the second step, higher quantity and frequency of drinking, more smoking cigarettes and drug use and less seat belt use were each associated with both drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers. Gun carrying was also associated with driving after drinking.


CONCLUSIONS
Drinking and driving behaviors were associated with risk and protective factors in the community, school, family and individual. Pilot prevention programs should test the effectiveness of reducing drinking and driving involvement by addressing such factors.
Sabel
Jennifer C
JC
Washington State Department of Health, Community and Family Health, Office of Epidemiology, 7211 Cleanwater Lane, Olympia, Washington 98504-7832, USA. jennifer.sabel@doh.wa.gov
Bensley
Lillian S
LS
Van Eenwyk
Juliet
J
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology