322: Factors Associated With Increased Compliance of Helmet Laws In Dominican Motorcyclists

Abstract

Study ObjectivesBy 2020, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are projected to place third on the list of “Global Burden of Diseases.” Latin American countries have the highest annual RTA fatality rates worldwide. Estimated at 41 deaths/100,000 in Dominican Republic (WHO), RTAs are the leading cause of death among males aged 15-44. This is the first study characterizing knowledge, experience, and helmet use among high-risk Dominican motorcyclists.MethodsThe Investigation Team administered surveys individually to a convenience sample of 258 randomly selected Dominican male motorcyclists at the 2008 Caribbean World Series.ResultsAge range: 14-68, (86.9% aged 15-44). 79.9% completed secondary education. 53% licensed. 31.2% helmet-owners. 55% report zero helmet use; the remainder use helmets up to 60% of riding time (average 37%). 47% experienced “severe personal injury” (29% head, 43% extremity, 6% thorax). 78% knew someone killed by RTA, 93% attributed to head injury.Predictors of helmet use by Logistic regression include: university education (OR=4.5, p=.027), having driver's license (OR=2.9., p<0.001). Of note, neither personal injury (p=0.11) nor death among relatives and friends (p=0.19) predict helmet use, nor does age.ConclusionsImportantly, 55% of Dominican male motorcyclists never use a helmet and the remainder report only sporadic use, despite 86% of participants having personally experienced injury or known someone killed by RTA. These data show that university education and being “licensed” independently predict helmet use, while personal experiences of danger apparently do not. These findings suggest legal measures and education are fundamental to future efforts promoting helmet use among motorcycle riders. Study ObjectivesBy 2020, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are projected to place third on the list of “Global Burden of Diseases.” Latin American countries have the highest annual RTA fatality rates worldwide. Estimated at 41 deaths/100,000 in Dominican Republic (WHO), RTAs are the leading cause of death among males aged 15-44. This is the first study characterizing knowledge, experience, and helmet use among high-risk Dominican motorcyclists. By 2020, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are projected to place third on the list of “Global Burden of Diseases.” Latin American countries have the highest annual RTA fatality rates worldwide. Estimated at 41 deaths/100,000 in Dominican Republic (WHO), RTAs are the leading cause of death among males aged 15-44. This is the first study characterizing knowledge, experience, and helmet use among high-risk Dominican motorcyclists. MethodsThe Investigation Team administered surveys individually to a convenience sample of 258 randomly selected Dominican male motorcyclists at the 2008 Caribbean World Series. The Investigation Team administered surveys individually to a convenience sample of 258 randomly selected Dominican male motorcyclists at the 2008 Caribbean World Series. ResultsAge range: 14-68, (86.9% aged 15-44). 79.9% completed secondary education. 53% licensed. 31.2% helmet-owners. 55% report zero helmet use; the remainder use helmets up to 60% of riding time (average 37%). 47% experienced “severe personal injury” (29% head, 43% extremity, 6% thorax). 78% knew someone killed by RTA, 93% attributed to head injury.Predictors of helmet use by Logistic regression include: university education (OR=4.5, p=.027), having driver's license (OR=2.9., p<0.001). Of note, neither personal injury (p=0.11) nor death among relatives and friends (p=0.19) predict helmet use, nor does age. Age range: 14-68, (86.9% aged 15-44). 79.9% completed secondary education. 53% licensed. 31.2% helmet-owners. 55% report zero helmet use; the remainder use helmets up to 60% of riding time (average 37%). 47% experienced “severe personal injury” (29% head, 43% extremity, 6% thorax). 78% knew someone killed by RTA, 93% attributed to head injury. Predictors of helmet use by Logistic regression include: university education (OR=4.5, p=.027), having driver's license (OR=2.9., p<0.001). Of note, neither personal injury (p=0.11) nor death among relatives and friends (p=0.19) predict helmet use, nor does age. ConclusionsImportantly, 55% of Dominican male motorcyclists never use a helmet and the remainder report only sporadic use, despite 86% of participants having personally experienced injury or known someone killed by RTA. These data show that university education and being “licensed” independently predict helmet use, while personal experiences of danger apparently do not. These findings suggest legal measures and education are fundamental to future efforts promoting helmet use among motorcycle riders. Importantly, 55% of Dominican male motorcyclists never use a helmet and the remainder report only sporadic use, despite 86% of participants having personally experienced injury or known someone killed by RTA. These data show that university education and being “licensed” independently predict helmet use, while personal experiences of danger apparently do not. These findings suggest legal measures and education are fundamental to future efforts promoting helmet use among motorcycle riders.