Robert F Saltz1, Mallie J Paschall2, Sharon E O'Hara2. 1. Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Berkeley, California. Electronic address: saltz@prev.org. 2. Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Berkeley, California.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This trial assesses the effects of a community-level alcohol prevention intervention in California on alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. STUDY DESIGN: The study is a group RCT with cities as the unit of assignment to condition and as the unit of analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 24 California cities with populations between 50,000 and 450,000 were chosen at random and roughly matched into pairs before randomly assigning 12 each to the intervention and control conditions. INTERVENTION: The intervention, aimed at reducing excessive drinking among adolescents and young adults, included driving under the influence sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and undercover operations to reduce service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons in bars, all including high visibility so the public would be aware of them. A measure of overall intervention intensity or dosage was created. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome was a monthly percentage of all motor vehicle crashes that were single vehicle nighttime crashes for drivers aged 15-30 years. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses were conducted to examine intervention effects on alcohol-related crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years. Crash data were obtained in 2018 with data preparation and analysis conducted in 2019. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated a 17% reduction in the percentage of alcohol-involved crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years relative to controls, which translates to about 310 fewer crashes. Dosage was found to have a statistically significant effect on crashes among this age group, although not in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced alcohol enforcement operations involving both community health and law enforcement agencies can help to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and related consequences among young people. Including measures of intervention dosage raises interesting questions about the understanding of the impact of the community intervention. Future studies should continue to further develop implementation strategies that may more effectively and efficiently reduce community alcohol-related harm.
INTRODUCTION: This trial assesses the effects of a community-level alcohol prevention intervention in California on alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. STUDY DESIGN: The study is a group RCT with cities as the unit of assignment to condition and as the unit of analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 24 California cities with populations between 50,000 and 450,000 were chosen at random and roughly matched into pairs before randomly assigning 12 each to the intervention and control conditions. INTERVENTION: The intervention, aimed at reducing excessive drinking among adolescents and young adults, included driving under the influence sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and undercover operations to reduce service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons in bars, all including high visibility so the public would be aware of them. A measure of overall intervention intensity or dosage was created. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome was a monthly percentage of all motor vehicle crashes that were single vehicle nighttime crashes for drivers aged 15-30 years. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses were conducted to examine intervention effects on alcohol-related crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years. Crash data were obtained in 2018 with data preparation and analysis conducted in 2019. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated a 17% reduction in the percentage of alcohol-involved crashes among drivers aged 15-30 years relative to controls, which translates to about 310 fewer crashes. Dosage was found to have a statistically significant effect on crashes among this age group, although not in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced alcohol enforcement operations involving both community health and law enforcement agencies can help to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and related consequences among young people. Including measures of intervention dosage raises interesting questions about the understanding of the impact of the community intervention. Future studies should continue to further develop implementation strategies that may more effectively and efficiently reduce community alcohol-related harm.
Authors: H D Holder; P J Gruenewald; W R Ponicki; A J Treno; J W Grube; R F Saltz; R B Voas; R Reynolds; J Davis; L Sanchez; G Gaumont; P Roeper Journal: JAMA Date: 2000-11-08 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Anna M Månsdotter; Malin K Rydberg; Eva Wallin; Lars A Lindholm; Sven Andréasson Journal: Eur J Public Health Date: 2007-03-25 Impact factor: 3.367
Authors: Mark Wolfson; Heather Champion; Thomas P McCoy; Scott D Rhodes; Edward H Ip; Jill N Blocker; Barbara Alvarez Martin; Kimberly G Wagoner; Mary Claire O'Brien; Erin L Sutfin; Ananda Mitra; Robert H Durant Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2012-07-23 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Anthony Shakeshaft; Christopher Doran; Dennis Petrie; Courtney Breen; Alys Havard; Ansari Abudeen; Elissa Harwood; Anton Clifford; Catherine D'Este; Stuart Gilmour; Rob Sanson-Fisher Journal: PLoS Med Date: 2014-03-11 Impact factor: 11.069
Authors: Christopher N Morrison; Muhire Kwizera; Qixuan Chen; Cheneal Puljevic; Charles C Branas; Douglas J Wiebe; Corinne Peek-Asa; Kirsten M McGavin; Shellee J Franssen; Vy K Le; Michael Keating; Frances M Williams; Jason Ferris Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2021-03-28 Impact factor: 3.928