SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF PROBLEM DRINKING AMONG DWI (DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED) OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 65537
• Journal: Journal of Studies on Alcohol Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Dated: (1979) Pages: 1064-1072
• Author(s): B J ZUNG
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 9 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin; Texas Governor's Office of Traffic Safety
• Corporate Author: Rutgers University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

OF 24 SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND VARIABLES EXAMINED, THREE DIFFERENTIATED RELIABLY AND EIGHT OTHERS MARGINALLY BETWEEN PROBLEM AND NONPROBLEM DRINKERS APPREHENDED FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING.

Abstract

AN ESTIMATED 37 PERCENT OF ALL TRAFFIC DEATHS ARE THOUGHT TO BE ALCOHOL RELATED, AND MORE THAT 45 PERCENT OF DRIVERS CAUGHT FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) MAY SHOW SIGNS OF PATHOLOGICAL DRINKING. MOREOVER, SOME EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT ALCOHOL ABUSE IS MORE PREVALENT AMONG THE POOR. IN THIS STUDY, 1,296 PROBLEM AND SOCIAL DRINKERS APPREHENDED FOR DWI IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, WERE COMPARED. ALCOHOLISM COUNSELORS INTERVIEWED ALL SUBJECTS TO DISCOVER DRINKING PATTERNS, SYMPTOMS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTS. SUBJECTS WERE COMPARED FOR BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION, AGE, SEX, RACE, MARITAL HISTORY, EDUCATION, INCOME, EMPLOYMENT, CHURCH ATTENDANCE, AND OTHER VARIABLES. SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS WERE SEEN BETWEEN ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS, NONCHURCH ATTENDANCE, AND JOB CHANGES. PROBLEM DRINKERS AS OPPOSED TO NONPROBLEM DRINKERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE WHITES CLAIMING NO CHURCH ATTENDANCE AND REPORTING FOUR OR MORE JOB CHANGES PER YEAR. ALSO, PROBLEM DRINKERS WERE AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD WITH LOW INCOMES, UNEMPLOYED, AND WITHOUT CHILDREN. HOWEVER, OTHER STUDIES HAVE INDICATED A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF NONWHITE OR OTHER MINORITY-GROUP MOTORISTS, AND INVESTIGATORS EXPLAIN THIS BY BASING PROBLEM DRINKING ON SOCIAL CLASS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PROBLEM DRINKERS ARE POSSIBLY LESS SUCCESSFUL, LESS SOCIALLY AFFILIATED (PROBLEM DRINKING DECREASES AS DWI DRIVERS HAVE CHILDREN AND MORE MONEY), AND THAT CHURCH-GOING ALONG WITH OTHER STABILIZING, SOCIAL-AFFILIATIVE ROUTINES MAY AFFECT OR BE A COMPONENT OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ACCOMPANIED BY ATTITUDES DETERRING EXCESIVE DRINKING. IN ADDITION, INCREASED FREQUENCY OF JOB CHANGE MAY BE PART OF A GENERAL PATTERN OF INSTABILITY, OR MAY REFLECT MORE SPECIFIC INADEQUACIES. HOWEVER, THE LIMITED SCOPE OF THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION MAKES SPECULATION DIFFICULT. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)