Drinking patterns in relation to injuries and drunk driving among community-dwelling adults in Taiwan

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association linking drinking patterns with self-reported past-year injuries and drunk driving among community-dwelling adults in Taiwan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study utilizing the dataset front the 2013 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The analytic sample comprised young adults (18-39 years of age; n=7,251) and older adults (40-64 years of age; n=8,003). Complex survey analyses in the logit function were performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of injuries (i.e., past-year falls, bums, and other injuric-s) and drunk driving in relation to binge drinking and drinking frequency. Results: Young adults had a higher prevalence of injuries (4%~13%), whereas a higher prevalence of drunk driving existed in older adults (3.8%). In contrast to drinking frequency, binge drinking was associated with higher odds of injuries; this association was more prominent in young adults. Greater than 1 in 5 young adults with binge and daily drinking reported drunk driving (22.6%); the adjusted OR for drunk driving was estimated 11.5 (95% CIs 4.94-26-91). Conclusions: Our analyses revealed a slightly increased risk of injuries associated with binge drinking, which was more prominent in young adults. The causal inference was limited because of the cross-scctional study design. Further evidence derived from longitudinal or surveillance data is needed to validate the conncction and explore possible pathways. Alcohol harm reduction strategies may address moderate drinking-rclatcd injuries and drunk driving intervention should focus on young drinkers as a priority target.