Risk for DUI Among American Indian and White Adolescents

Introduction.  Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and drugs is a leading cause of mortality among youth.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of motor vehicle-related deaths among American Indians (AI) are more than twice that of Whites and almost twice that of Blacks.  The goal of the current study is to examine the role of risk and protective factors related to DUI of alcohol among AI youth.

Methods.  Participants included 1908 youth (n= 948 females and n= 960 males) who completed surveys in 2011 and 2012, as part of a longitudinal randomized control trial of an alcohol preventative intervention for rural, non-reservation communities (Komro, et al, 2014; Komro, et al., 2015).  Youth were in 9-12^th grade, and the majority were White (47.4%), American Indian (22.2%), or American Indian and White (18.5%).  We used logit regression models to examine the effects of risk and protective factors for DUI of alcohol among youth, after adjusting for demographic variables (e.g. age, race/ethnicity, SES).

Results.  At wave 1 (Fall 2011), the prevalence of self-reported DUI was 5.7% (n=109); and gender differences were observed.  As expected, males reported a higher prevalence (7.1%) of driving a car when they had been drinking when compared with females (4.3%) (p=<.01).  By wave 3 (Spring 2012), however, no differences in youth’s self-report of driving a car after drinking (6.1% males, 4.5% females; p=.16) were evident.  After controlling for Native status, gender, age, and SES, and DUI behaviors at wave 1, youth who reported riding with friends who had been drinking (OR=3.03; 95% CI=1.4-6.5; p=<.01) and early alcohol risk (OR=1.14; 95% CI=1.07-1.22; p=<.01), reported higher prevalence of DUI behaviors at wave 3.  Although no significant gender differences were observed in self-reported DUI, at wave 3, females reported a higher prevalence of riding with a friend who had been drinking (6.7%) when compared with males (6.7% vs 4.9%, p=.03).  Similarly, females reported a higher prevalence of riding with a family member who had been drinking (8.3%) when compared with males (5.3%) (8.3% vs. 5.3%, p=<.01).

Conclusion.  Findings suggest gender differences in drinking and driving behaviors. Initially, males reported a higher prevalence of DUI, but within a year, the prevalence of DUI among females and males was similar.  Females reported a higher prevalence of riding with family and/or friends who had been drinking.  Findings highlight the role of early alcohol risk and riding with others who had been drinking as risk factors for DUI behaviors.