Publication: Disparity in motorcycle helmet use in Thailand
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Issued Date
2013
Resource Type
Language
eng
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Mahidol University
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BioMed Central
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal for Equity in Health. Vol. 12, (2013), 74
Suggested Citation
Paibul Suriyawongpaisa, Ammarin Thakkinstian, Aratta Rangpueng, Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn, Pimpa Techakamolsuk Disparity in motorcycle helmet use in Thailand. International Journal for Equity in Health. Vol. 12, (2013), 74. doi:10.1186/1475-9276-12-74 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/2700
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Title
Disparity in motorcycle helmet use in Thailand
Abstract
The dispersion of motorcycle related injuries and deaths might be a result of disparity in motorcycle helmet use.
This study uses national roadside survey data, injury sentinel surveillance data and other national data sets in 2010
of Thailand, a country with high mortality related to motorcycle injuries, to explore the disparity in helmet use,
explanatory factors of the disparity. It also assessed potential agreement and correlation between helmet use rate
reported by the roadside survey and the injury sentinel surveillance. This report revealed helmet use rate of 43.7%
(95% CI:43.6,43.9) nationwide with the highest rate (81.8%; 95% CI: 44.0,46.4) in Bangkok. Helmet use rate in drivers
(53.3%; 95% CI: 53.2,53.8) was 2.5 times higher than that in passengers (19.3%; 95% CI:18.9,19.7). In relative terms
(highest-to-lowest ratio,HLR), geographical disparity in helmet use was found to be higher in passengers (HLR=28.5).
Law enforcement activities as indicated by the conviction rate of motorcyclists were significantly associated with
the helmet use rate (spline regression coefficient = 3.90, 95% CI: 0.48,7.33). Together with the finding of HLR for
conviction rate of 87.24, it is suggested that more equitable improvement in helmet use could be achieved by
more equitable distribution of the police force. Finally, we found poor correlation (r=0.01; p value = 0.76) and no
agreement (difference = 34.29%; 95% CI:13.48%, 55.09%) between roadside survey and injury sentinel surveillance in
estimating helmet use rate. These findings should be considered a warning for employing injury surveillance to
monitor policy implementation of helmet use.