Attitude towards and practice of helmet use among commercial motorcyclists in Dar es salaam region, Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Motorcycle accidents form a fatal category of motor traffic accidents. Motorcycle riders have a 34 times risk of death than the drivers of other types of vehicles and 8 times more likely to be injured. The non-use of helmet is a specific factor leading to head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle crashes. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the commercial motorcyclists‟ attitude and their practices of helmet wearing. The specific objectives were to determine the following among commercial motorcyclists in Dar es Salaam region: attitude of helmet use, proportion of commercial motorcyclists who wear helmet and the practice of helmet use. Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam region in May, 2011 at randomly selected commercial motorcycle parking points. A total of 273 conveniently selected eligible commercial motorcyclists participated. Face-to-face interviews were performed using a standard questionnaire while observation was conducted using an observation checklist. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: All commercial motorcyclists were males, with the majority (64.8%) with primary education. The proportion of commercial motorcyclists who reported to wear helmet was 81.3%. However about two thirds of them (67.6%) reported to not wear helmet consistently. Helmet wearing was strongly predicted by having a positive attitude towards helmet for passengers (p=0.005), protective ability of helmet against head injury (p=0.003), wearing helmet during night (p=0.001) and wearing helmet even for the experienced rider (p=0.000). However in a multiple regression model, it was found that those who agreed regarding the protective ability of helmet against head injury were more likely to wear helmet than those who disagreed (AOR: 0.279; 95% CI: 0.086-0.905); those who strongly agreed on wearing helmet during hot weather were more likely to wear helmet than those who disagreed (AOR: 0.039; 95% CI: 0.002-0.698). Those who strongly agreed on necessity for passengers to wear helmet and wearing helmet during night were more likely to wear helmet than those who were undecided (AOR: 0.091; 95% CI: 0.013- viii 0.617 and AOR: 0.114; 95% CI: 0.014-0.931 respectively). Those who had primary education were more likely to wear helmet than those who had no formal education (AOR: 6.146; 95% CI; 1.345-28.097). There was no significant difference in helmet wearing between urban and peri-urban areas (p=0.109). A small majority (52.7%) were observed wearing helmet, although 91.8% of them had no passenger‟s helmet. Conclusion: These findings indicate that despite the inconsistent helmet wearing, commercial motorcyclists had positive attitude towards helmet wearing. Helmet wearing is associated with the level of education and having a positive attitude towards helmet wearing. There is a high disparity on the observed helmet wearing between riders and passengers. Very few among the later were found to be wearing helmet. Recommendations: There is a need to strengthen legal enforcement of helmet wearing and ensuring the availability and accessibility of quality helmet to the majority of commercial motorcyclists. There is also a need for regular education campaigns to foster positive attitude towards helmet use. Further explorative studies on the quality of helmet and the factors associated with the use and non-use of helmet among motorcycle passengers are recommended.