Citation

Fathollahi S, Saeedi Moghaddam S, Rezaei N, Jafari A, Peykari N, Haghshenas R, Shams-Beyranvand M, Damerchilu B, Mehregan A, Khezrian M, Hasan M, Momen Nia Rankohi E, Darman M, Moghisi A, Farzadfar F. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Epidemiological Association, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/ije/dyz021

PMID

30843066

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 in Iran, we need to have a comprehensive understanding of the distribution of risky behaviours regarding road-traffic injuries at national and sub-national levels. Little is known about the road-use vulnerability patterns of road-traffic injuries in Iran. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of self-reported human risk factors in road-traffic injuries using the findings from a large-scale cross-sectional study based on the World Health Organization's stepwise approach to surveillance of non-communicable diseases (STEPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study in 2016 assessed the road-use pattern and prevalence of risky behaviours of people more than 18 years old. In this study, we planned to recruit 31 050 individuals as a representative sample at national and provincial levels. In practice, 30 541 individuals (3105 clusters) from urban and rural areas of Iran were selected. Basic socio-demographic data, major behavioural risk factors such as seatbelt and helmet non-compliance, drunk driving and occupant in a car with a drunk driver were assessed through baseline interviews gathered through an Android tablet-based questionnaire.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of seatbelt and helmet compliance was 75.2% (95% confidence interval: 74.7-75.7) and 13.9% (13.4-14.5), respectively, at the national level. The prevalence of risk-taking behaviours such as drink driving was 0.5% (0.4-0.6) and for being an occupant in a car with a drunk driver was 3.5% (3.2-3.8). At the provincial level, the highest age-standardized prevalence of seatbelt compliance (89.6%) was almost 1.5 times higher than the lowest provincial prevalence (58.5%). In 63% of provinces, the lowest prevalence of seatbelt compliance was observed among people aged 18-24 years old.

CONCLUSIONS: In Iran, existing disease-prevention and health-promotion programmes should be expanded to target vulnerable subgroups that have more prevalent human risk factors for road-traffic injuries. Further research is required to investigate the context-specific proximal human risk factors and vulnerability patterns in Iran.

© The Author(s) 2019; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Language: en

Keywords

Motor vehicles; helmet use; human risk factors; seatbelt use; self-reported