Riding with an impaired driver and driving while impaired among adolescents: Longitudinal trajectories and their characteristics

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize trajectory classes of adolescents who ride with an impaired driver (RWI) and drive while impaired (DWI).

Methods

We analyzed all 7 annual assessments (Waves W1–W7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study starting with 10th grade (2009–2010 school year). Using all 7 waves, latent class analysis was used to identify trajectory classes with dichotomized RWI (last 12 months) and DWI (last 30 days; once or more = 1 vs. none = 0). Covariates were race/ethnicity, sex, parent education, urbanicity, and family affluence.

Results

Four RWI trajectories and 4 DWI trajectories were identified: abstainer, escalator, decliner, and persister. For RWI and DWI trajectories respectively, 45.0% (n = 647) and 76.2% (n = 1,657) were abstainers, 15.6% (n = 226) and 14.2% (n = 337) were escalators, 25.0% (n = 352) and 5.4% (n = 99) were decliners, and 14.4% (n = 197) and 3.8% (n = 83) persisters. Race/ethnicity (χ² = 23.93, P = .004) was significantly associated with the RWI trajectory classes. Race/ethnicity (χ² = 20.55, P = .02), sex (χ² = 13.89, P = .003), parent highest education (χ² = 12.49, P = .05), urbanicity (χ² = 9.66, P = .02), and family affluence (χ² = 12.88, P = .05) were significantly associated with DWI trajectory classes.

Conclusions

Among adolescents transitioning into emerging adulthood, race/ethnicity is a common factor associated with RWI and DWI longitudinal trajectories. Our results suggest that adolescent RWI and DWI are complex behaviors warranting further detailed investigation of the respective trajectory classes. Our study findings can inform the tailoring of prevention and intervention efforts aimed at preventing illness/injury and preserving future opportunities for adolescents to thrive in emerging adulthood.

Keywords:

• Driving while impaired
• riding with an impaired driver
• trajectory classes
• young drivers

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Funding

NIAAA Funding Support: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R21AA026346 and R01AA026313. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

NICHD - NEXT Generation Health Study: This project (contract HHSN275201200001I) was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration.