The prevalence of helmet use in motorcyclists around the world: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 5,006,476 participants

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.

Relationship of Time of Injury Marijuana Exposure and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant nursing concern, as it is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability in the United States. Notably, up to 51% of all TBI patients have substance use exposure at the time of injury. Marijuana remains the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. However, little is known about marijuana exposure and TBI incidence and severity, particularly at the time of injury.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines in PubMed to determine the relationship between marijuana exposure and TBI severity.Heterogeneity of study designs, concepts, samples, and variables in included studies precluded a meta-analysis. Hence, a descriptive analysis of findings was conducted.

RESULTS

The search yielded 939 studies, of which eight met inclusion criteria. Only one study found a connection between positive marijuana toxicology screen and mortality outcomes in TBI patients. There was significant variation in how marijuana exposure was defined, conceptualized, and operationalized in the other studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified the need for larger, better-designed studies to address the significant knowledge gap about the relationship between marijuana use and its influence on TBI. Data and knowledge derived from such studies can help inform policy and aid in the development of nursing interventions that target prevention and increase awareness of TBI risk when under the influence of marijuana.

Texting while driving: the development and validation of the distracted driving survey and risk score among young adults

BACKGROUND

Texting while driving and other cell-phone reading and writing activities are high-risk activities associated with motor vehicle collisions and mortality. This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of the Distracted Driving Survey (DDS) and score.

METHODS

Survey questions were developed by a research team using semi-structured interviews, pilot-tested, and evaluated in young drivers for validity and reliability. Questions focused on texting while driving and use of email, social media, and maps on cellular phones with specific questions about the driving speeds at which these activities are performed.

RESULTS

In 228 drivers 18-24 years old, the DDS showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93) and correlations with reported 12-month crash rates. The score is reported on a 0-44 scale with 44 being highest risk behaviors. For every 1 unit increase of the DDS score, the odds of reporting a car crash increases 7 %. The survey can be completed in two minutes, or less than five minutes if demographic and background information is included. Text messaging was common; 59.2 and 71.5 % of respondents said they wrote and read text messages, respectively, while driving in the last 30 days.

CONCLUSION

The DDS is an 11-item scale that measures cell phone-related distracted driving risk and includes reading/viewing and writing subscores. The scale demonstrated strong validity and reliability in drivers age 24 and younger. The DDS may be useful for measuring rates of cell-phone related distracted driving and for evaluating public health interventions focused on reducing such behaviors.