Examining Factors in the Research Institute on Addictions Self-Inventory (RIASI): Associations with Alcohol Use and Problems at Assessment and Follow-Up

Impaired driving is a leading cause of alcohol-related deaths and injuries. Rehabilitation or remedial programs, involving assessment and screening of convicted impaired drivers to determine problem severity and appropriate programs, are an important component of society’s response to this problem. Ontario’s remedial program, Back on Track (BOT), involves an assessment process that includes administration of the Research Institute on Addictions Self-Inventory (RIASI) to determine assignment to an education or treatment program. The purpose of this study is to identify factors within the RIASI and examine how factor scores are associated with alcohol use and problem indicators at assessment and six-month follow-up. The sample included 22,298 individuals who completed BOT from 2000 to 2005. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted on RIASI data and an eight factor solution was retained: (1) Negative Affect, (2) Sensation Seeking, (3) Alcohol-Quantity, (4) Social Conformity, (5) High Risk Lifestyle, (6) Alcohol Problems, (7) Interpersonal Competence, and (8) Family History. Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between factors and alcohol and problem measures obtained at assessment and at follow-up. Most factors, except for Interpersonal Competence, were associated with more alcohol use and problems at assessment. A similar pattern was observed at 6-month follow-up, but interestingly some factors (Negative Affect, Sensation Seeking, Alcohol-Quantity and Family History) predicted fewer days of alcohol use. The Interpersonal Competence factor was associated with significantly lower levels of alcohol use and problems at both assessment and follow-up. This work suggests that the RIASI provides information on several domains that have important relationships with alcohol problem severity and outcomes

The Impact of Childhood Symptoms of Conduct Disorder on Driver Aggression in Adulthood

Background: Despite limited empirical investigation, existing scientific literature suggests that individuals with a history or current diagnosis of conduct disorder (CD) may be more likely to demonstrate reckless and aggressive driving. Much of the limited research in this field examines the impact of childhood CD on driver behaviour and collision risk in young adults. Few, if any, studies assess the impact of this disorder on driver behaviour beyond age 21 years. The current research is a population-based study of the impact of CD symptoms during childhood on the risk of engaging in driver aggression during adulthood. Methods: Data are based on telephone interviews with 5,230 respondents who reported having driven in the past year. Data are derived from the 2011-2013 cycles of the CAMH Monitor, an ongoing cross-sectional survey of adults inOntario,Canada aged 18 years and older. A binary logistic regression analysis of self-reported driver aggression in the previous 12 months was conducted, consisting of measures of demographic characteristics, driving exposure, problem substance use, alcohol- and drug-impaired driving, symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and childhood (before age 15) symptoms of CD. Results: When entered with demographic characteristics, driving exposure, and other potential confounders, childhood symptoms of CD increased the odds of reporting driver aggression more than two-fold (adjusted OR=2.12). Exploratory analyses of the interaction between childhood symptoms of CD and age was not a significant predictor of driver aggression. Conclusions: Results suggest that symptoms of CD during childhood are associated with significantly increased odds of self-reported driver aggression during adulthood. Limitations and future directions of the research are discussed

Do driver anger and aggression contribute to the odds of a crash? A population-level analysis

Background: Driver anger and aggression are believed to be one of the primary contributing factors to motor vehicle collisions. While several methodologies have been used to assess the impact of driver anger and aggression on collision risk, few of these studies have adopted a population-level survey approach. Most, if not all, of the few population-level analyses published were conducted more than a decade ago and adjusted for only a few relevant variables. The current study analysed more recent population-level data, assessing the impact of driver aggression on collision risk, adjusting for several potential confounders. Method: Based on data from a regionally stratified general-population telephone survey of adults in Ontario, Canada conducted from 2002 through 2009 (N = 12,830), a binary logistic regression analysis examined self-reported collision involvement in the previous 12 months by measures of demographic characteristics, driving exposure, driving after alcohol or after cannabis use, probable anxiety and mood disorder, and driver aggression. The aggression measure subsumed an element of retaliation, and thus the concurrent experience of anger. Results: Adjusting for demographic variables and potential confounders, driver aggression was associated with increased odds of collision involvement. Specifically, relative to those drivers reporting only minor driver aggression, drivers reporting no driver aggression had reduced odds of collision involvement (OR = 0.65, p < .001), whereas drivers reporting both minor and serious driver aggression had increased odds of collision involvement (OR = 1.78, p = .03). Conclusions: Following a dose–response pattern, increasingly severe forms of driver aggression were associated with increasing odds of a crash. The magnitude of the effect on collision risk was comparable to that seen with other hazardous driving behaviours including driving after substance use. Implications of these findings are discussed

Age group differences in self-reported aggressive driving perpetration and victimization

Aim: This study examined whether the predictors of self-reported aggressive driving perpetration and victimization vary across age groups. Method: Based on data from a general-population telephone survey conducted from July 2002 through June 2005, three groups of drivers were examined: 18–34 year-olds (N = 1522), 35–54 year-olds (N = 2726), and 55 years of age or older (N = 1883). For each age group sample, logistic regression analyses examined self-reported aggressive driving perpetration and victimization in the last 12 months by measures of driving exposure, heavy drinking, cannabis use, and drinking-driving, while controlling for demographic factors. Results: The prevalence of aggressive driving perpetration within the past year was highest for the youngest age group (51%), followed by the middle-aged group (37%), and then the oldest age group (18%). The same pattern of results was found for prevalence of aggressive driving victimization (54%, 47%, and 31%, respectively). Controlling for demographic factors, the predictors of perpetration were generally consistent across the age groups. The logistic regression model for the youngest drivers revealed that those who reported stressful driving, heavy drinking, and cannabis use had significantly increased odds of reporting perpetration of aggressive driving. For middle-aged and older drivers, stressful driving, driving on busy roads, cannabis use, and driving after drinking were associated with perpetration. In addition, increased mileage contributed to perpetration in the oldest group. The findings for victimization by aggressive driving were similar. The logistic regression model for the youngest age group identified stressful driving, cannabis use, and higher annual mileage as being associated with victimization. For the oldest age group, these same variables were significant predictors of victimization, in addition to driving on busy roads. The logistic regression for the middle-aged group identified the same predictors as that of the oldest age group; however, interestingly driving after drinking was found to predict lower victimization among middle-aged drivers. Conclusions: Although the prevalence of aggressive driving perpetration and victimization declined with age, the factors that contributed to aggressive driving remained generally stable across the lifespan. The results suggest that efforts to reduce aggressive driving among young drivers may prove to be effective for drivers from all age groups

The impact of driver education on self-reported collisions among young drivers with a graduated licence. Accident Analysis and Prevention 38, 35-42. Footnote 1 It should be noted that this paper only focuses on the changes that were made to the GDL system

Abstract In this study, we assess the impact of driver education on the risk of collisions in a Graduated Licensing System (GLS). Ontario&apos;s GLS requires all new drivers to successfully pass through two stages of graduated license (referred to as G1 and G2, respectively) before full licensure is granted. Surveys of driving behaviour and related factors were administered to Grades 11 and 12 students with a graduated license in seven Ontario schools in 1996 and 1998. A total of 1533 students completed the survey in 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significantly lower odds of self-reported collision involvement among G1 license holders with driver education (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.83). No significant effects were observed for G2 license holders. Other significant predictors of collisions include sex of driver, months of licensure and kilometers driven for G2 license holders. These results suggest that the impact of driver education may be dependent on the stage of driver learning in which it occurs

Drinking patterns, alcohol-related harm and views on policies: results from a pilot of the International Alcohol Control Study in Canada.

INTRODUCTION: We conducted a pilot assessment of the feasibility of implementing the International Alcohol Control (IAC) Study in Ontario, Canada, to allow for future comparisons on the impacts of alcohol control policies with a number of countries. METHODS: The IAC Study questionnaire was adapted for use in the province of Ontario, and a split-sample approach was used to collect data. Data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 500 participants, with half the sample each answering a subset of the adapted IAC Study survey. RESULTS: Just over half of the sample (53.6%) reported high frequency drinking (once a week or more frequently), while 6.5% reported heavy typical occasion drinking (8 drinks or more per session). Self-reported rates of alcohol-related harms from one's own and others' drinking were relatively low. Attitudes towards alcohol control varied. A substantial majority supported more police spot checks to detect drinking and driving, while restrictions on the number of alcohol outlets and increases in the price of alcohol were generally opposed. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrated that the IAC Study survey can be implemented in Canada with some modifications. Future research should assess how to improve participation rates and the feasibility of implementing the longitudinal aspect of the IAC Study. This survey provides additional insight into alcohol-related behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol control policies, which can be used to develop appropriate public health responses in the Canadian context

Preliminary Results for Street Racing Among Adults in Ontario: Relations to Alcohol and Cannabis Use (letter)

Reproduced with permission of the Canadian Public Health Association.Street racing has a long history, dating back to the 1920s shortly after cars became cheap, plentiful and available to the masses. Many movies and songs idolize street racers, e.g., “Rebel Without a Cause” and “The Fast and the Furious”. There have been several recent instances where street racers or innocent bystanders have been fatally injured. Street racing is now a problem in countries worldwide, with deaths and injuries reported in many. However, little is known about the factors associated with this behaviour. We examined street racing and its links to various alcohol and cannabis measures among adults in Ontario

Increased collision risk among drivers who report driving after using alcohol and after using cannabis (letter to the editor)

Reproduced with permission of the Canadian Public Health Association.Alcohol and cannabis are the two most commonly used psychoactive drugs in Canada: about 80% of adults consume alcohol, while nearly half report trying cannabis in their lifetime. It has long been known that driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) increases collision risk, and more recent evidence suggests that driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) does as well. Little research exists on the prevalence of people who report both DUIA and DUIC, or on collisions experienced by this group. Described here is the self-reported collision risk among drivers who report DUIA and DUIC in the Ontario adult population. Though these data cannot distinguish whether these behaviours occur concurrently, population data such as these can be useful in assessing the health risks facing individuals who report these behaviours

Bullying and Hazardous Driving Among Youthful Drivers (letter to the editor)

Reproduced with permission of the Canadian Public Health Association.Bullying in schools is an important social, psychological and educational problem. Research on this behaviour is available from diverse countries. Reported rates of students being bullied range from 10% to 50%. A recent Ontario study found that 20.7% of students engaged in bullying. Bullying behaviour is a marker for antisocial development. Perpetrators engage in antisocial behaviour later in life, and have higher levels of criminal thinking, aggression and psychopathology. More research is needed on how bullying relates to aggressive behaviours outside of school situations. Hazardous driving, including driving after drinking and drug use, and street racing, are aggressive in nature. Several characteristics of bullies are shared with hazardous drivers, e.g., being male, consuming alcohol, and engaging in other antisocial behaviours. However, no studies show how bullying relates to hazardous driving. Here, we report associations between self-reported bullying perpetration and hazardous driving in a large, representative sample of students in Canadian schools

Does gender moderate the relationship between driver aggression and its risk factors?

Aim: The current study assessed gender as a potential moderator of the relationship between self-reported driver aggression and various demographic variables, general and driving-related risk factors. Methods: Using data from a general-population telephone survey conducted from July 2002 through June 2005, two approaches to binary logistic regression were adopted. Based on the full dataset (n = 6259), the initial analysis was a hierarchical-entry regression examining self-reported driver aggression in the last 12 months. All demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, income, education, marital status), general risk factors (i.e., psychological distress, binge drinking, cannabis use), and driving-related risk factors (i.e., driving exposure, stressful driving, exposure to busy roads, driving after drinking, driving after cannabis use) were entered in the first block, and all two-way interactions with gender were entered stepwise in the second block. The subsequent analysis involved dividing the sample by gender and conducting logistic regressions with main effects only for males (n = 2921) and females (n = 3338) separately. Results: Although the prevalence of driver aggression in the current sample was slightly higher among males (38.5%) than females (32.9%), the difference was small, and gender did not enter as a significant predictor of driver aggression in the overall logistic regression. In that analysis, difficulty with social functioning and being older were associated with a reduced risk of driver aggression. Marital status and education were unrelated to aggression, and all other variables were associated with an increased risk of aggression. Gender was found to moderate the relationships between driver aggression and only three variables: income, psychological distress, and driving exposure. Separate analyses on the male and female sub-samples also found differences in the predictive value of income and driving exposure; however, the difference for psychological distress could not be detected using this separate regression approach. The secondary analysis also identified slight differences in the predictive value of four of the risk factors, where the odds ratios for both males and females were in the same direction but only one of the two was statistically significant. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the importance of conducting the gender analysis using both regression approaches. With few exceptions, factors that were predictive of driver aggression were generally the same for both male and female drivers