Impaired Driving Among Rural Appalachian Women in the Year Following Incarceration

Authors

J. Matthew Webster, University of KentuckyFollow
Megan F. Dickson, University of KentuckyFollow
Shawn M. Jamison, University of KentuckyFollow
Michele Staton, University of KentuckyFollow

Corresponding Author

J. Matthew Webster: matt.webster@uky.edu

Author Affiliations

1. J. Matthew Webster, PhD: Professor, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky (Lexington KY); E-mail: matt.webster@uky.edu; ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8197-0329
2. Megan F. Dickson, PhD: Assistant Professor, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky; ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0527-6850
3. Shawn Jamison: Research Assistant, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky
4. Michele Staton, PhD: Professor, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky; ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5093-8131

Author Area of Expertise

Webster: impaired driving, substance use

Dickson: impaired driving, criminal justice

Jamison (student): substance use

Staton: women, substance use, health services

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the known risks associated with substance use following incarceration, no studies have examined substance-impaired driving as a post-incarceration health risk behavior in rural Appalachia.

Purpose: The present study examined differences by impaired driving following incarceration and identified predictors of impaired driving in sample of rural Appalachian women with a history of drug use and risky sex.

Methods: Women (N=340) from three rural Appalachian jails completed a baseline interview in jail and follow-up interviews at six and 12 months post-release. Interview questions included demographic characteristics and information on substance use risk, mental health, criminal legal system involvement, and impaired driving. Data were collected from 2012 to 2019. Secondary data analysis performed in 2024 compared women who reported driving impaired during the 12-month follow-up period (n=76) to those who did not (n=257). A multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of impaired driving.

Results: Lifetime arrests, substance use risk, and symptoms of major depressive disorder were associated with impaired driving. The logistic regression model indicated that participants with major depressive disorder symptoms had twice the odds of driving impaired in the year following incarceration.

Implications: Almost one-fourth of women in the sample reported driving impaired during the follow-up period, suggesting that impaired driving should be examined as a post-release health risk behavior for rural Appalachian women in future research. Furthermore, study findings highlight an important opportunity for targeted prevention and intervention for women who may experience increased risk as they return to rural Appalachian communities following incarceration.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.13023/jah.0604.09

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Webster JM, Dickson M, Jamison S, Staton M. Impaired driving among rural Appalachian women in the year following incarceration. J Appalach Health 2025;6(4):105-114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13023/jah.0604.09