Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Inj Prev. 2024 Oct 1;30(5):420-426. doi: 10.1136/ip-2023-045012.
Motorcycle crashes are a major source of road traffic deaths in northern Ghana. Helmet use has been low. The last time it was formally assessed (2010), helmet use was 30.0% (34.2% for riders and 1.9% for pillion riders). We sought to determine the current prevalence of helmet use and its associated factors among motorcyclists in northern Ghana.
Cross-sectional observations of motorcycle helmet use were conducted among 3853 motorcycle riders and 1097 pillion riders in the Northern Region at 12 different locations near intersections, roundabouts and motorcycle bays. Modified Poisson regression was used to assess the factors associated with helmet use.
The prevalence of helmet use was 22.1% overall: 26.7% among motorcycle riders and 5.7% among pillion riders. On the multivariable regression analysis, the prevalence of helmet use among motorcycle riders was 69% higher during the day compared with the night, 58% higher at weekend compared with weekday, 46% higher among males compared with females, but it was 18% lower on local roads compared with highways, 67% lower among young riders compared with the elderly and 29% lower when riding with pillion rider(s).
Despite small increases in motorcycle helmet use among pillion riders, helmet use has declined overall over the past decade. Immediate actions are needed to promote helmet use among motorcyclists in northern Ghana. This calls for a multisectoral approach to address the current low helmet use, targeting young riders, female riders, pillion riders, evening riding and riding on local roads.
摩托车事故是加纳北部道路交通事故死亡的主要原因。头盔使用率一直很低。上一次对其进行正式评估（2010 年）时，头盔使用率为 30.0%（骑手为 34.2%，后座乘客为 1.9%）。我们试图确定加纳北部摩托车手目前头盔使用率及其相关因素。
在北部地区的 12 个不同地点，在交叉路口、环岛和摩托车停车区附近，对 3853 名摩托车骑手和 1097 名后座乘客进行了横断面观察，以确定头盔使用情况。使用修正泊松回归来评估与头盔使用相关的因素。
头盔使用率总体为 22.1%：骑手为 26.7%，后座乘客为 5.7%。在多变量回归分析中，与夜间相比，白天骑手头盔使用率高 69%，周末比工作日高 58%，男性比女性高 46%，但在当地道路上比高速公路低 18%，年轻骑手比老年骑手低 67%，载有后座乘客时低 29%。
尽管后座乘客的摩托车头盔使用率略有增加，但在过去十年中，头盔使用率总体上有所下降。加纳北部需要立即采取行动，促进摩托车手使用头盔。这需要采取多部门的方法来解决目前头盔使用率低的问题，针对年轻骑手、女性骑手、后座乘客、傍晚骑行和在当地道路骑行。
