Impaired Driving Among Rural Appalachian Women in the Year Following Incarceration

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.