Adult correlates of early behavioral maladjustment: a study of injured drivers.
OBJECTIVE
To establish whether a history of school suspension (HSS) predicts adult driver behavior.


METHODS
323 injured drivers were interviewed as part of a study of psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD) and injury. Drivers with a HSS were compared to those without HSS in relation to demographics, SES, PSUD, risky behaviors, trauma history and driving history using student's t test and chi-square. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to adjust for demographics, SES and PSUD.


RESULTS
HSS drivers represented 31% of the population and were younger, more likely to be male and had higher rates of alcohol and drug dependence than drivers without HSS. Educational achievement was worse for drivers with HSS. Drivers with HSS were more likely to have a history of prior vehicular trauma and assault. Seat-belt non-use, drinking and driving, riding with drunk driver, binge drinking, driving fast for the thrill, license suspension and drinking and driving convictions were more common among drivers with HSS. In multiple logistic regression models adjusting for demographics and SES, HSS revealed higher odds ratios for the same outcomes. After adding PSUD to the models HSS remained significant only for seat belt non use, binge drinking and previous assault history.


CONCLUSIONS
HSS is associated with risky behaviors, repeated vehicular injury, and poor driver history. The association with driver history, however, disappears when PSUD are included in the models. The association of HSS (a marker of early behavioral maladjustment) with behavioral risks suggests that undiagnosed psychopathology may be linked to injury recidivism.
Ryb
Gabriel
G
National Study Center for Trauma & EMS, University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Dischinger
Patricia
P
Smith
Gordon
G
Soderstrom
Carl
C
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology