Relationship Between General Health Domains and Pedestrian Safety Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Traffic injuries are one of the top ten leading causes of mortality worldwide that impose a substantial burden on the health and economy of nations. Among all traffic users, pedestrians are the most vulnerable, accounting for a significant share of injuries and fatalities resulting from traffic accidents. Numerous factors contribute to pedestrian traffic accidents, with unsafe pedestrian behavior being one of the most critical factors. Objectives: Various factors can influence the traffic behavior of pedestrians. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics, the general health status of pedestrians, and their traffic behavior. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, after obtaining ethical approval and participants’ consent, data were collected from eligible individuals. The data included participants’ demographic information and their responses to the 28-question General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ). Linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationships between demographic variables, general health domains, and the total score obtained from the PBQ. Results: Among the 1 421 participants in the study, 720 (50.7%) were female and 1 310 (92.2%) were under the age of 60. In terms of marital status, 979 individuals were married (69.5%), and 368 (26.2%) were single. The overall score of the general health of the participants was high in 623 individuals (43.8%), moderate in 666 individuals (46.9%), low in 122 individuals (8.6%), and very low in 10 individuals (0.7%). The mean (standard deviation) score of pedestrian behavior was also 57.89 (±11.9). There was a significant relationship between female gender, age of 15-29 years, being single, and domains of general health (somatic symptoms, anxiety assessment, social dysfunction assessment, and depression assessment) with the overall score of pedestrian behavior. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between the overall score of the participants’ general health and the overall score of their pedestrian behavior. Conclusions: There is a significant relationship between demographic characteristics and various domains of the general health of pedestrians and their behavior. Paying attention to this issue in policymaking and conducting further studies to identify other factors affecting pedestrian traffic behavior to prevent traffic injuries seems necessary.