Acculturation, income, education, safety belt use, and fatal motor vehicle crashes in California

Reducing traffic violations in minority localities: Designing a traffic enforcement program through a public participation process

The current study tests an innovative public participation process for designing and implementing a tailored traffic enforcement program in minority localities. The quasi-experiment used two matched pairs of randomly selected Israeli Arab localities, where one locality in each pair was randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group. The intervention's main features were the public participation process and implementation by police of the traffic enforcement program designed during the process. Systematic field observations on 12,236 vehicles in the four localities found a meaningful and significant reduction in traffic violations in the experimental localities following the intervention, while a small increase in violations was observed in the control localities. The most meaningful decline, indicating improvement in drivers' behavior, was in non-use of seatbelts and small children in the front seat. The study suggests that a public participation process which identifies local road traffic problems and "dark" hot spots (places where offenses and risky behavior recur but might not be known to the police), followed by implementing tailored solutions for these problems, can reduce traffic violations. Future research should aim to separate out the independent effects of the two phases (the public participation process and tailored enforcement).

Determinants of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs among latino immigrants in miami-dade county, florida

Little is known about the pre- and postimmigration drinking and drunk- and drugged-driving behavior of Latino immigrants. Despite showing risky drinking behaviors, many recent immigrants of low socioeconomic status (SES) do not drive while impaired by alcohol (DWI) due largely to limited access to a vehicle. This effort examines the DWI and driving while impaired by drugs (DWID) behaviors of Latino immigrants who have access to a vehicle. Data came from an ongoing longitudinal sample of Latino immigrants to Miami-Dade County, Florida. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression were applied. Preimmigration DWI and DWID was the best predictor of postimmigration DWI and DWID. Future interventions should make efforts to (a) identify immigrants who had DWI and DWID in their country of origin and (b) design and deliver specific and culturally relevant messages to persuade them not to engage in DWI and DWID after immigration.

Variations in Social Network Type Membership Among Older African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and Non-Hispanic Whites

OBJECTIVES

This study examined race differences in the probability of belonging to a specific social network typology of family, friends, and church members.

METHOD

Samples of African Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Hispanic whites aged 55+ were drawn from the National Survey of American Life. Typology indicators related to social integration and negative interactions with family, friendship, and church networks were used. Latent class analysis was used to identify typologies, and latent class multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the influence of race, and interactions between race and age, and race and education on typology membership.

RESULTS

Four network typologies were identified: optimal (high social integration, low negative interaction), family-centered (high social integration within primarily the extended family network, low negative interaction), strained (low social integration, high negative interaction), and ambivalent (high social integration and high negative interaction). Findings for race and age and race and education interactions indicated that the effects of education and age on typology membership varied by race.

DISCUSSION

Overall, the findings demonstrate how race interacts with age and education to influence the probability of belonging to particular network types. A better understanding of the influence of race, education, and age on social network typologies will inform future research and theoretical developments in this area.

Census-based socioeconomic indicators for monitoring injury causes in the USA: a review

BACKGROUND

Unlike the UK or New Zealand, there is no standard set of census variables in the USA for characterising socioeconomic (SES, socioeconomic status) inequalities in health outcomes, including injury. We systematically reviewed existing US studies to identify conceptual and methodological strengths and limitations of current approaches to determine those most suitable for research and surveillance.

METHODS

We searched seven electronic databases to identify census variables proposed in the peer-reviewed literature to monitor injury risk. Inclusion criteria were that numerator data were derived from hospital, trauma or vital statistics registries and that exposure variables included census SES constructs.

RESULTS

From 33 eligible studies, we identified 70 different census constructs for monitoring injury risk. Of these, fewer than half were replicated by other studies or against other causes, making the majority of studies non-comparable. When evaluated for a statistically significant relationship with a cause of injury, 74% of all constructs were predictive of injury risk when assessed in pairwise comparisons, whereas 98% of all constructs were significant when aggregated into composite indices. Fewer than 30% of studies selected SES constructs based on known associations with injury risk.

CONCLUSIONS

There is heterogeneity in the conceptual and methodological approaches for using census data for monitoring injury risk as well as in the recommendations as to how these constructs can be used for injury prevention. We recommend four priority areas for research to facilitate a more unified approach towards use of the census for monitoring socioeconomic inequalities in injury risk.

Tweens at risk: examining car safety practices in four economically disadvantaged urban elementary schools in Virginia

INTRODUCTION

Children aged 8- to 12-years-old ("tweens") are at high risk for crash injury, and motor vehicle crashes are their leading cause of death.

METHOD

Data are presented from behavioral observations (N=243), surveys (N=677), and focus groups (N=26) conducted with tweens attending four urban elementary schools in Virginia. The populations assessed were predominantly black (77.9%) and economically disadvantaged (61.9%).

RESULTS

Focus groups revealed a number of inconsistencies in and misconceptions about safety practices. Among the 677 tweens who completed anonymous surveys, the majority (58.1%) reported wearing their seat belts "not very much at all" or "never." Many students (47.8%) reported usually sitting in the front seat or sitting in the front and back seats equally. This is despite the fact that most (92.0%) knew that the back seat was the safest place to sit. Of the 243 tweens observed in vehicles, 65.0% were unrestrained and 60.1% were seated in the front passenger seat.

IMPACT ON INDUSTRY

Findings of this study shed light on the great disparity between the national rates for child safety practices and those of children living in an economically disadvantaged urban school district. Additional intervention programs that are culturally appropriate and specifically target this age group are needed.

Traffic citation rates among drivers of different residency status in the United States

Racial/ethnic groups in the United States may be overrepresented in motor-vehicle incidents (crashes and violations), particularly among low-acculturated immigrants coming from countries in which traffic laws are not well enforced. Some evidence suggests just the opposite. We collected and analyzed information on the residency status of licensed drivers in Florida and Tennessee to examine the hypothesis that the prevalence of seat-belt nonuse, DWI, speeding, and failures to obey a traffic signal was higher among recent immigrants than among US citizens. We rejected this hypothesis. Both in Florida and Tennessee, US citizens were more likely to be cited for DWI, seat-belt, or speeding violations than the noncitizens. However, immigrants were more often cited for failure-to-obey than US citizens. We concluded that residency status does, appear to play a role in the likelihood of traffic violations, but this role is far from uniform; varying depending upon the type of traffic violation, the racial/ethnic group, and the state in which the violation occurred.

Explaining state-to-state differences in seat belt use: A multivariate analysis of cultural variables

There is considerable variation in seat belt use within the United States despite extensive evidence that the use of seat belts saves lives. Previous studies have identified some important factors that affect belt use rates, including gender, age, race, vehicle type, seat-belt enforcement laws, and amount of fine for belt-use law violation. In this study, we examined the influence of additional socio-demographic factors on state-level use rates: education (percentage of high school educated population), racial composition (percentage White), median household income, political leaning (percentage Democrat), and a measure of religiosity. These variables, which collectively characterize the 'culture' of a state, have received little attention in seat-belt studies. The paper reports results from a multiple regression analysis of data from the 2008 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Many of the use rate patterns in FARS data were consistent with those found in other data sets, suggesting that conclusions based on FARS data are likely to hold for the population-at-large. Of the five cultural factors considered in the study, three were identified as important in explaining the differences in seat belt use at the state level: religiosity, race (percentage White), and political leaning (percentage Democrat). The other two variables - income and education - were not significant. Hold-out analyses confirmed that this conclusion was consistent across different subsets of data. The findings from this study are preliminary and have to be confirmed on other data sets. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the potential usefulness of cultural factors in explaining state-to-state variation in seat belt use rates. If factors such as religiosity are indeed important, they can be used to develop culturally appropriate programs for increasing belt use.

Drug and alcohol involvement in four types of fatal crashes

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of drunk and drugged driving to the occurrence of fatal crashes associated with speeding, failure to obey/yield, inattention, and seat belt nonuse.

METHOD

We examined data for fatally injured drivers involved in single-vehicle crashes killed in states in which more than 79% of the drivers were tested for drugs other than alcohol and had a known result.

RESULTS

About 25% of the drivers tested positive for drugs, a figure almost double that estimated by the 2007 National Roadside Survey. Cannabinoids and stimulants each contributed to about 23% of the drugpositive results (6% among all fatally injured single-vehicle drivers). Stimulants more than cannabinoids were found to be associated with the four types of crashes under study. Some drugs showed a protective effect over the four crash types under study. Significant interactions between drugs and alcohol were observed. Stimulants contributed to the different types of fatal crashes irrespective of the levels of alcohol consumed by the drivers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides further evidence of a link between drug consumption and fatal crashes. It also opens the door to some interesting and sometimes unexpected questions regarding the way drugs contribute to crashes, which we found varies depending on the type of crash considered, the class of drug, and the presence of alcohol. Research is also needed on drugs that could have a protective effect on the occurrence of fatal crashes. These findings could be highly relevant to the design of drug-related traffic laws and programs targeted at curbing drugged driving.

Drinking and driving among immigrant and US-born Hispanic young adults: results from a longitudinal and nationally representative study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risk factors associated with the initiation of driving under the influence (DUI) among Hispanics in a longitudinal and nationally-representative sample of adolescents and young adults. Specifically, this study tests the effect of demographic variables, individual-level risk factors, and eco-processes (e.g., peer drug use, parental involvement) during adolescence on DUI among Hispanic young adults.

METHODS

Data were derived from 1734 Hispanic adolescents surveyed for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Survey logistic regression procedures were used to examine the effects of nativity status on DUI initiation, to evaluate the independent effect of each risk factor (demographic, individual-level, and eco-processes), and to identify whether and to what extent these factors are associated with the initiation of DUI.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of DUI initiation was 18.3%. Differences were observed in the rates of DUI initiation by nativity status: first-generation immigrants reported the lowest rates of DUI initiation (15.4%) when compared with second-generation US-born Hispanic youth (17.4%) and third-generation and beyond US-born Hispanic youth (21.5%). US-born Hispanic youth were also more likely to report higher frequency of alcohol use (t=3.46, p=0.001) and marijuana use (t=2.34, p=0.021) compared to immigrant adolescents. After adjusting for a number of risk factors, men (OR=2.86), marijuana users (OR=1.98), and those who reported feeling safe in their neighborhoods (OR=2.02) were at an increased risk DUI initiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide support for the "immigrant paradox": immigrant youth reported lower rates of DUI initiation and other high-risk behaviors when compared with US-born Hispanic youth.

Associations between sociodemographics and safety belt use in states with and without primary enforcement laws

OBJECTIVES

secondary enforcement laws (police may issue a safety belt citation only if the vehicle has been stopped for another reason).

METHODS

We analyzed 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 50 states and the District of Columbia. We performed multivariable, log-linear regression analyses to assess the effect of sociodemographic characteristics and safety belt laws on safety belt use. Analyses were stratified by the type of enforcement permitted by state laws.

RESULTS

Reported safety belt use was higher in states that had primary versus secondary enforcement laws, both overall and for each sociodemographic characteristic examined. Safety belt use was 85% in states that had primary enforcement laws and 74% in states that had secondary enforcement laws. Cross-sectional data suggested that primary enforcement laws may have the greatest effect on sociodemographic groups that reported lower levels of safety belt use.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary enforcement laws are an effective population-based strategy for reducing disparities in safety belt use and may, therefore, reduce disparities in crash-related injuries and fatalities.

Stop sign violations: the role of race and ethnicity on fatal crashes

INTRODUCTION

In contrast to age, education, and gender, which have been studied more frequently, the role of race/ethnicity in shaping fatal stop sign running incidents has received relatively little attention. It has been shown that failing to follow traffic laws and regulations is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in Latin America. Does this driving behavior in Latin America correspond to the Hispanic community in the United States? Are Hispanics more likely to be at-fault concerning stop sign crossing than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States?

METHOD

We took advantage of a 1990-1996 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) file with additional racial/ethnic information. Our file consisted of drivers who died in a MVC that occurred in an intersection where a stop sign was in place that involved one or more drivers with at least one of them failing to obey the traffic device. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were applied.

RESULTS

Overall, we found no direct difference between African-American, White, and Hispanic drivers regarding stop sign running. However, we found that race/ethnicity does play an indirect role on this problem through its impact on drinking and driving as well as its interaction with age and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a picture that is much more complex than what the initial hypothesis postulated. Race/ethnicity seems to play a role in shaping fatal stop sign running incidents, but the mechanisms by which such a role is played are complex and not fully understood.

IMPACT ON INDUSTRY

The incidence and cost of fatal stop sign running crashes may be reduced if prevention policies targeting the most vulnerable groups could be developed.