An ecological approach to the prevention of injuries due to drinking and driving

Abstract

Among the many alcohol-related public health concerns, motor vehicle crashes account for nearly one-third of all deaths attributable to alcohol. Adolescents and young adults, particularly males, are important target populations for intervention efforts. Taking an ecological perspective of individuals within their social and physical environments, a diagnostic framework is employed in reviewing the literature on factors associated with drinking and driving injuries and on interventions to prevent injuries due to drinking and driving. Intervention planning is conceptualized according to a multilevel intervention framework, which consists of four phases: (1) health goals selection, (2) intervention planning, (3) intervention, and (4) evaluation. Possible intervention objectives, targets of the intervention actions, intervention approaches, and evaluation criteria are identified and discussed for three societal levels and four practice settings.