Citation

Shool S, Piri SM, Ghodsi Z, Tabrizi R, Amirzade-Iranaq MH, Mashayekhi M, Dabbagh Ohadi MA, Mojtabavi K, Abbasnezhad R, Vasighi K, Atlasi R, Ansari-Moghaddam A, Taghi Heydari S, Sharif-Alhoseini M, Shafieian M, O'Reilly G, Rahimi-Movaghar V. Int. J. Inj. Control Safe. Promot. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17457300.2024.2335509

PMID

38628097

Abstract

Road traffic injuries present a significant public health burden, especially in developing countries. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized global evidence on motorcycle helmet use prevalence by including 299 records across 249 articles involving 5,006,476 participants from 1982 to 2022. The findings revealed a declining trend in helmet use prevalence over the past four decades, with an overall prevalence of 48.71%. The meta-regression analysis did not find any statistically significant change in the overall prevalence. Subgroup analysis showed higher helmet use prevalence in observation/survey records (54.29%) compared to crashed patient records (44.84%). Riders/Motorcyclists demonstrated a higher likelihood of wearing helmets than passengers in both observation/survey records (62.61 vs. 28.23%) and crashed patient records (47.76 vs. 26.61%). Countries with mandatory helmet use laws had higher helmet usage prevalence compared to those without (52.26 vs. 37.21%). The African continent had the lowest helmet use rates, while Latin America and the Caribbean regions had higher rates. This study provides a comprehensive overview of global helmet use prevalence, emphasizing disparities between high and low-income countries, variations in law enforcement, and trends over four decades. Targeted interventions are necessary to improve helmet-wearing habits, especially among passengers and regions with low usage rates. Effective legislation and awareness campaigns are crucial for promoting helmet use and reducing road traffic injuries burden.

Language: en

Keywords

head injuries; head protective devices; mortality; Motorcycles; systematic review