Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Bahai Institute of Higher Education, University of Buffalo, Amherst, New York.
Traffic Inj Prev. 2024;25(sup1):S1-S5. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2024.2372782. Epub 2024 Nov 1.
The overwhelming majority of teenage driving research in the US is framed around characteristics associated with risk, rather than factors that promote safety. In this study, we examine the role of purpose in life and mindfulness as two factors that may be associated with safer driving behaviors.
Using survey responses from a nationally representative sample of teenagers (aged 16-19) we used structural equation modeling to construct three latent variables - sense of purpose, mindfulness, and risky driving-and evaluate the associations between these latent variables among teenage drivers. Risky driving was based on measures of self-reported distracted driving, drunk driving, driving under the influence of marijuana and other drugs, inconsistent seatbelt use, and riding with an impaired driver.
We found that sense of purpose and mindfulness were associated with fewer risky driving behaviors. We also identified mindfulness as a mediator between sense of purpose and risky driving.
Purpose in life and mindfulness are associated with fewer risky driving behaviors among US teenagers. Driver education and training could include components related to purpose and mindfulness, in order to promote safer driving behaviors in this population.
在美国，绝大多数青少年驾驶研究都是围绕与风险相关的特征展开的，而不是与促进安全相关的因素。在这项研究中，我们研究了生活目标和正念作为可能与更安全驾驶行为相关的两个因素的作用。
使用来自全国代表性青少年样本（年龄在 16-19 岁之间）的调查回复，我们使用结构方程模型构建了三个潜在变量——生活目标感、正念和冒险驾驶，并评估了青少年司机之间这些潜在变量之间的关联。冒险驾驶是基于自我报告的分心驾驶、酒后驾驶、吸食大麻和其他毒品后驾驶、不系安全带和与醉酒司机同乘等措施来衡量的。
我们发现生活目标感和正念与较少的冒险驾驶行为有关。我们还发现正念是生活目标感与冒险驾驶之间的中介变量。
在美国青少年中，生活目标感和正念与较少的冒险驾驶行为有关。驾驶教育和培训可以包括与目标和正念相关的内容，以促进这一人群的更安全驾驶行为。
