KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 May 12, 2025 \u2013 Concerns about marijuana-impaired driving have increased in recent years in the United States. With about half of the nation\u2019s states having legalized recreational use of marijuana \u2013 including Rhode Island in 2022 \u2013 groups such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have sounded the alarm about driving under the influence of cannabis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
No group may be more at-risk than college students, less experienced behind the wheel and more prone to risky behavior. In a 2020 survey, about 44% of college students reported using marijuana during the previous year, up from 38% five years earlier. In a separate study, about 29.9% of college students said they had driven under the influence of cannabis \u2013 increasing the risk of an accident for these young drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
溏心vlog免费B站 psychology professor Andrea Paiva is hoping to help reduce the prevalence of this at-risk behavior and is undertaking a new study that will inform tailored interventions to promote behavior change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMarijuana use among college students remains a prevalent public health issue with associated risks including impaired driving,\u201d said Paiva. \u201cThe goal of this work is to lay the foundation for developing an intervention to reduce the prevalence of driving under the influence of marijuana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe college years are a period of significant behavioral and lifestyle change,\u201d she added. \u201cIntervening now can have long-lasting effects on individuals\u2019 habits and decision-making processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paiva has studied health behavior change for more than 20 years. Launched recently, her project, \u201cApplying the Transtheoretical Model to Develop Measures for Readiness for Reduction of Marijuana Use and Driving After Use Among College Kids,\u201d aligns with her goal to develop interventions that reduce the harm associated with risky behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To develop targeted interventions, Paiva will use the Transtheoretical Model, which provides a framework for assessing and promoting behavior change. Pioneered by renowned 溏心vlog免费B站 psychology professor James Prochaska and colleagues about 50 years ago, the model is useful in helping people to change their behavior in stages to achieve better health. Paiva has personally applied to the model on more than 20 behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The model identifies the stages of change, helping to understand where a person falls within the stages and their readiness to change behavior. Targeted interventions can then be developed to address specific barriers and motivators relevant to each stage, increasing the likelihood of success. \u201cUnderstanding and enhancing readiness to change these behaviors is critical for developing targeted interventions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the model has been successfully applied to help change many behaviors \u2013 including smoking, substance abuse, and depression \u2013 it\u2019s yet to be used on marijuana use and driving, Paiva said. \u201cThe model offers a structured framework for understanding and facilitating behavior change, making it particularly suitable for addressing cannabis-impaired driving among college students,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working with several undergraduate students \u2013 including Public Policy Lab fellows Julianna Rodrigues and Jackson Diehl \u2013 Paiva will review existing model-based measures and how they can be applied to substance-abuse behaviors. The researchers will also use focus groups of college students to learn their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to marijuana use and driving. They will develop a survey aligned with the model\u2019s conceptional elements that will be piloted with a sample of college students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n