TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Predictors of seat-belt use among bus passengers in Ghana: an application of the theory of planned behaviour and health belief model JO - Journal of community health A1 - Okyere, Paul A1 - Agyei-Baffour, Peter A1 - Harris, Muriel Jean A1 - Mock, Charles A1 - Donkor, Peter A1 - Yankson, Isaac Kofi A1 - Owusu-Dabo, Ellis SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: Seat-belt use is effective in preventing traffic fatalities and injuries yet its use is not universal. This study sought to determine the predictors of self-reported seat-belt use among bus passengers in Ghana based on the theory of planned behaviour and health belief model.

METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional study design with 633 randomly selected intercity bus passengers was conducted using a structured questionnaire in Kumasi, Ghana. The resulting data were analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Ordinal regression was employed to determine the predictors of self-reported seat-belt use.

RESULTS: Majority of the respondents were male (61.5%) with a mean age of 32.2 (SD = 11.6). A third (33.0%) reported that they always wear their seat-belt as bus passengers. The results indicated that intention (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.21-1.84, p = 0.001), subjective norm (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.15-2.13, p = 0.004) and perceived behavioural control (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.21-1.92, p = 0.001) variables from the theory of planned behaviour were significant independent predictors of seat-belt use. Among the health belief model variables, perceived severity (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.15-2.16, p = 0.005) and perceived barriers (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.39-0.67, p = 0.001) were the only significant independent predictors of self-reported seat-belt use.

CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that intention, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, perceived severity and perceived barriers play an important role in determining bus passengers' seat-belt use behaviour. Road safety programmes to increase seat-belt use will gain from giving serious attention to these factors in the design and implementation of such programmes.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0094-5145 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10900-021-00980-7 ID - ref1 ER -