Abstract
Objectives
The purpose of this study was to assess sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors associated with driving after marijuana use (DAMU) among West Virginia college students.
Methods
Participants were recruited from West Virginia University between September and November 2022. The study sample was restricted to students who were ≥18 years of age; reported recently driving; possessed a current, valid driver’s license from any US state; and were enrolled for at least one credit hour in the Fall 2022 semester.
Results
Among respondents (N = 772), 28.9% reported DAMU. Students who had a GPA of B (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–4.42), smoked or ingested marijuana in the past year (AOR: 26.51, 95% CI: 10.27–68.39), drove after drinking (AOR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.18–4.79), and used both marijuana and alcohol concurrently and then drove (AOR: 10.39, 95% CI: 2.32–46.54) associated with DAMU. Individuals who felt the behavior was somewhat dangerous or not dangerous or thought their peers approved of DAMU showed significant associations with DAMU.
Conclusions
As DAMU was prevalent, future interventions that raise awareness of the danger and potential consequences of DAMU may be needed to reduce this risky behavior on college campuses.
Acknowledgement
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author contributions
The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design: YT and TMR; data collection: YT; analysis and interpretation of results: YT and TMR; draft manuscript preparation: YT, CGA, CLL, ELW, and TMR. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, YT, upon reasonable request.