Citation

Alvarez L, Classen S, Medhizadah S, Knott M, Asantey K, He W, Feher A, Moulin MS. OTJR 2018; 38(4): 245-253.

Affiliation

University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Slack Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1539449218787495

PMID

30009688

Abstract

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death among North American youth, with a high prevalence of distraction-related fatalities. Youth-focused interventions must address detecting (visual scanning) and responding (adjustment to stimuli) to critical roadway information. In this repeated measures study, we investigated the feasibility (i.e., recruitment and sample characteristics; data collection procedures; acceptability of the intervention; resources; and preliminary effects) of a DriveFocus™ app intervention on youth's driving performance. Thirty-four youth participated in a 9-week protocol (retention rate = 89.7%; adherence rate = 100%). No participants experienced simulator sickness. A preliminary nonparametric evaluation of the results ( n = 34) indicated a statistically significant decrease in the number of visual scanning, F(2, 68) = 3.769, p =.028, and adjustment to stimuli, F(2, 68) = 6.759, p =.002, errors between baseline, midpoint, and posttest. This study lays the foundation to support a targeted intervention trial to improve youth's attention to critical road information, building on their mobile technology preferences.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescents; driving; intervention