Road Traffic Injury Prevention, Motorcycle Safety, Personal Protective Equipment Use, Visibility Materials, Injury Prevention Education, Health Behavior Change
Conditions
Keywords
Motorcycle safety, personal protective equipment, visibility materials, road injury prevention, health education, commercial riders, Cameroon, road safety
Brief summary
This study is testing whether a health education program can help commercial motorcycle riders and passengers in the Limbe and Tiko Health Districts of Cameroon improve their use of safety equipment. These include items like helmets, reflective jackets, and other materials that help riders and passengers be more visible and protected on the road. People who ride or travel on motorcycles are at high risk for road injuries, especially when visibility is low. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and visibility materials can prevent many of these injuries, but many riders do not use them regularly. The study involves educating riders and passengers through group sessions and follow-up messages about the importance of safety gear. The investigators will compare the use of PPE and visibility materials before and after the health education intervention to see if it made a difference. Adults aged 18 and older who ride or travel on motorcycles in Limbe or Tiko are eligible to participate. The study will last several months and does not involve any drugs or medical procedures. There is no known risk to participants. The results will help guide future road safety programs in Cameroon and other similar settings
Detailed description
Commercial motorcycle riders and passengers in Cameroon face a high burden of road traffic injuries, especially in crisis-affected areas like the Limbe and Tiko Health Districts. Poor road visibility, limited use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and low awareness of road safety practices contribute significantly to these injuries. Despite the known benefits of PPE such as helmets, reflective jackets, and visibility materials, their uptake remains low. Previous studies have shown that health education can improve safety behaviors, but there is limited evidence on its effectiveness in increasing the use of PPE and visibility materials in this high-risk population. This study aims to assess the impact of a targeted health education intervention on the uptake of PPE and visibility materials among commercial motorcycle riders and passengers. The intervention includes interactive education sessions, distribution of educational materials, and follow-up communication through SMS. Participants' knowledge, attitudes, and use of safety equipment will be measured before and after the intervention to evaluate effectiveness. The findings from this study will support the design of scalable and community-driven road safety interventions and may inform national policy and programming to reduce road traffic injuries in Cameroon and similar low-resource settings.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHealth education intervention to improve knowledge and uptake of personal protective equipment and visibility materials among commercial motorcycle riders and passengers
This intervention consists of a structured health education program targeting commercial motorcycle riders and passengers in the Limbe Health District. It includes interactive group sessions focused on the importance, benefits, and correct use of personal protective equipment (helmets, reflective jackets) and visibility materials (reflective strips, lights). Educational materials such as leaflets and posters are distributed to reinforce learning. Additionally, participants receive follow-up SMS reminders to encourage consistent and proper use of protective gear. The goal is to increase awareness and uptake of safety measures to reduce road traffic injuries. This intervention is community-based and tailored to the local context in Cameroon.
Sponsors
University of Buea
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Berkeley
Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Masking description
No masking (open-label) was implemented in this study. Participants, care providers, investigators, and outcomes assessors were aware of group assignments due to the nature of the health education intervention.
Intervention model description
This study uses a parallel assignment design involving two groups: the intervention group in Limbe Health District, which receives a health education program to improve uptake of personal protective equipment (PPE) and visibility materials, and the control group in Tiko Health District, which does not receive the intervention during the study period. Both groups are followed simultaneously to compare changes in knowledge, attitudes, and use of safety equipment. Participants are commercial motorcycle riders and passengers aged 18 years and above. This design allows assessment of the effectiveness of the health education intervention by comparing outcomes between intervention and control communities.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adults aged 18 years and above Commercial motorcycle riders or regular motorcycle passengers Residing or operating in the Limbe or Tiko Health District Willing and able to provide informed consent Able to participate in both baseline and follow-up assessments
Exclusion criteria
* Individuals who declined to provide informed consent Individuals who were not available for follow-up or unwilling to participate in follow-up assessments
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Uptake of personal protective equipment and visibility materials | From enrollment to endline at 6 months | Change in the proportion of motorcycle riders and passengers reporting consistent use of PPE (helmets, reflective jackets) and visibility materials (reflective strips, lights) before and after the intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in knowledge level on the importance of PPE and visibility materials | 6 months | Improvement in participants' knowledge scores (based on a structured questionnaire) about the role of PPE and visibility materials in road safety. |
| Change in attitudes toward use of PPE and visibility materials | Baseline and 6 months post-intervention | Improvement in participants' attitude scores toward the regular and appropriate use of PPE and visibility materials. |
Countries
Cameroon
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORChrisantus Eweh Ukah, PhD Fellow
UNIVERSITY OF BUEA, Cameroon
Outcome results
None listed