257227 Association between texting while driving and other risky motor vehicle behaviors among U.S. high school students

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Emily Olsen, MSPH , Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Ruth Shults, PhD, MPH , National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Danice K. Eaton, PhD, MPH , Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Background/Purpose: Motor vehicle (MV) crashes are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for U.S. adolescents; distracted driving contributes to these crashes. CDC's 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) assessed frequency of texting/emailing while driving (TWD) among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. This study analyzes the prevalence of TWD and associations with other risky MV behaviors. Methods: The YRBS assessed TWD with the question "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you text or e-mail while driving a car or other vehicle?" TWD was coded: never (0 days), occasional (1-19 days), and frequent (20-30 days). Among students aged ≥16 years, logistic regression assessed the relationship between TWD and other risky MV behaviors, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and sex. Results/Outcomes: Among 8,505 students, 29% engaged in occasional TWD and 16% engaged in frequent TWD. Frequent TWD was highest among white students (18%) and students ≥18 years (25%). Compared to students who never engaged in TWD, students who engaged in frequent TWD had higher odds of never/rarely wearing a seatbelt (AOR: 3.6, 95%CI: 2.8-4.5), riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (AOR: 3.4, 95%CI: 2.9-4.1), driving when drinking alcohol (AOR=14.4, 95%CI: 11.3-18.4), and getting insufficient sleep (AOR=1.3, 95%CI: 1.1-1.6). Similar patterns were seen for occasional TWD. Conclusions: Nearly half (44%) of students engaged in TWD; these students are more likely to participate in other risky MV behaviors. These results highlight the importance of developing effective strategies to reduce TWD among U.S. adolescents.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the prevalence of texting or emailing while driving among U.S. high school students in 2011. 2. Explain the relationship between texting while driving and other driving behaviors such as wearing a seatbelt and drinking and driving. 3. List and discuss possible strategies for preventing TWD among U.S. high school students.

Keywords: Adolescents, Motor Vehicles

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a health statistician with a focus in adolescent health and research; I am an expert on the Youth Risk Behavior Surveeillance System.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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