Drinking and Parenting Practices as Predictors of Impaired Driving Behaviors Among U.S. Adolescents

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which 10th-grade substance use and parenting practices predicted 11th-grade teenage driving while alcohol-/other drug-impaired (DWI) and riding with alcohol-/other drug-impaired drivers (RWI). Method: The data were from Waves 1 and 2 of the NEXT Generation study, with longitudinal assessment of a nationally representative sample of 10th graders starting in [2009][2010]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the prospective associations between proposed predictors (heavy episodic drinking, illicit drug use, parental monitoring knowledge and control) in Wave 1 and DWI/RWI. Results: Heavy episodic drinking at Wave 1 predicted Wave 2 DWI (odds ratio [OR] = 3.73, p < .001) and RWI (OR = 3.92, p < .001) after controlling for parenting practices and selected covariates. Father's monitoring knowledge predicted lower DWI prevalence at Wave 2 when controlling for covariates and teenage substance use (OR = 0.66, p < .001). In contrast, mother's monitoring knowledge predicted lower RWI prevalence at Wave 2 when controlling for covariates only (OR = 0.67, p < .05), but the effect was reduced to nonsignifi cance when controlling for teen substance use. Conclusions: Heavy episodic drinking predicted DWI and RWI. In addition, parental monitoring knowledge, particularly by fathers, was protective against DWI, independent of the effect of substance use. This suggests that the enhancement of parenting practices could potentially discourage adolescent DWI. The fi ndings suggest that the parenting practices of fathers and mothers may have differential effects on adolescent impaired-driving behaviors. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 75, 5-15, 2014) Safety, 2010). Around the same time adolescents begin driving, the prevalence of substance use increases in this population (CDC, 2012), potentially increasing crash risk. Alcohol-/other drug-related crash riskA substantial body of research (Elvik, 2013;Li et al., 2012) has established that an elevated crash risk results at all ages from impaired driving caused by alcohol (Blomberg et al., 2009), other drugs (Elvik, 2013Li et al., 2012), or alcohol and other drugs used in combination (Kuypers et al., 2012). For example, drivers younger than 21 with a positive blood alcohol concentration experienced twice the crash risk of those ages 25 and older (Peck et al., 2008). Novice teen drivers have especially high crash rates because of inexperience, contributing to the disproportionate effect on this population of driving while impaired by alcohol and/or other drugs (DWI; Peck et al., 2008;Voas et al., 2012).Current national prevalence estimates of teenage drinking and driving in the past month among 11th-grade students range from 9.1% (CDC, 2012) to 12.5% (Li et al., 2013), and two national studies found that 24% of high school students report riding with an impaired driver (RWI) in the past month (CDC, 2012) or in the past year (Li et al., 2013). The National Roadside Survey conducted for the N...

Transitions in Riding With an Alcohol/Drug-Impaired Driver From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood in the United States

“…Sampling strategy is reported elsewhere (Li et al, 2014a(Li et al, , 2014b. Of the 3,796 students invited to participate, 2,525 consented and completed the W1 survey (baseline).…”

“…Recent studies show cross-sectional association of RWI with heavy drinking and illegal drug use (Li et al, 2013), and they also show prospective association of RWI with drinking, but not with illegal drug use (Li et al, 2014b) among adolescents. These fi ndings suggest that relationships between heavy drinking and illegal drug use and RWI may be variable during the mutable and malleable developmental stages of mid-to-late adolescence.…”

“…When it comes to substance use (Bohnert et al, 2012;DiClemente et al, 2001), risky driving (Simons-Morton et al, 2011), and RWI (10th-11th grades) (Li et al, 2014b), parental monitoring knowledge has been identifi ed as a protective factor against adolescent risk behavior. However, the association of parental monitoring knowledge with RWI during the dynamic developmental stages of mid-to-late adolescence and into early adulthood is still unclear.…”

Association Between Riding With an Impaired Driver and Driving While Impaired

“…Sampling strategy was reported elsewhere. 19 Of 3796 students recruited in the 10th grade, assent or parental consent for 2619 students was obtained at W1. A total of 2525 students completed the survey at W1.…”

“…For example, heavy episodic drinking (HED) was found to predict DWI, and parental monitoring knowledge, particularly for fathers, was protective against DWI, independent of the effect of substance use. 19 Driving has been described as a socially regulated behavior. 20 Social learning theory posits that social behavior is learned primarily by observing and imitating the actions of others.…”