Drinking and driving and riding with an alcohol impaired driver among United States Air Force recruits

Margaret DeBon; Mark W Vander Weg; Deborah Sherrill-Mittleman; Robert C Klesges; Gerald W Talcott

doi:10.1080/15389588.2010.543202

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Drinking and driving and riding with an alcohol impaired driver among United States Air Force recruits

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Drinking and driving and riding with an alcohol impaired driver among United States Air Force recruits

Margaret DeBon, Mark W Vander Weg, Deborah Sherrill-Mittleman, Robert C Klesges and Gerald W Talcott

Traffic injury prevention, Vol.12(2), pp.128-135

04/2011

DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2010.543202

PMID: 21469019

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Abstract

To identify the prevalence and correlates of binge drinking, driving after drinking, and riding in a vehicle with a driver who had consumed alcohol in US Air Force active duty recruits. A military cohort (N = 31,108; 25.1% female) was analyzed to identify variables associated with binge drinking, drinking and driving, and riding with a driver who had consumed alcohol. Results indicated that 53 percent (including 45% of those under the legal drinking age) reported alcohol use in the month prior to entering basic military training (BMT). Thirty-eight percent of all active duty recruits reported binge drinking (ie, consuming 5 or more drinks on a single occasion) at least one time in the past 30 days. Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) reported 1 to 3 episodes of binge drinking. Three percent of reported alcohol users drove after consuming five or more drinks, and 9 percent rode as a passenger in a vehicle with a driver who had been drinking heavily. Several demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal correlates of risky drinking patterns were identified. Prevention efforts are needed to address the implications of these findings because they influence the health, safety, and military readiness of active duty personnel.

Alcoholic Intoxication - epidemiology

United States - epidemiology

Humans

Alcohol Drinking - psychology

Military Personnel - psychology

Male

Automobile Driving - psychology

Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Military Personnel - statistics & numerical data

Young Adult

Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology

Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data

Risk-Taking

Adult

Female

Details

Title: Subtitle: Drinking and driving and riding with an alcohol impaired driver among United States Air Force recruits
Creators: Margaret DeBon - Department of Preventive Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA. mdebon@uthsc.edu
Mark W Vander Weg
Deborah Sherrill-Mittleman
Robert C Klesges
Gerald W Talcott
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Traffic injury prevention, Vol.12(2), pp.128-135
DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2010.543202
PMID: 21469019
NLM abbreviation: Traffic Inj Prev
ISSN: 1538-9588
eISSN: 1538-957X
Publisher: England
Grant note: HL053478 / NHLBI NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 04/2011
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences; Injury Prevention Research Center; Community and Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984064194202771

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