Drink driving and the patterns and context of drinking among New Zealand adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between drink driving and the patterns and locations of usual drinking among New Zealand adolescents.


METHODS
This is a secondary analysis of data from a nationally representative youth health survey, the sampling frame for which was all New Zealand secondary schools with more than 50 students enrolled in years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 18 years) in 2001. The analysis was restricted to the 3408 survey respondents aged 15 years or older who were current drinkers and drivers.


RESULTS
In total, 17.3% of participants reported drink driving in the previous month. Drink driving was significantly associated with frequent (at least weekly) alcohol use, binge drinking and usually drinking away from home, that is in cars, outdoors, at bars or nightclubs, at parties, at school and at work. Students' perception that parents and schools care about them, parental monitoring, and high academic achievement was associated with a reduced risk of drink driving while having friends who drink alcohol increased this risk. These associations were similar among boys and girls.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support calls to address how and where young people drink, and indicate the potential gains to be made with family- and school-based interventions.
Tin
Sandar Tin
ST
Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. s.tintin@auckland.ac.nz
Ameratunga
Shanthi
S
Robinson
Elizabeth
E
Crengle
Sue
S
Schaaf
David
D
Watson
Peter
P
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000295:Adolescent Medicine; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016487:Parenting; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012938:Social Perception