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.

Do Helmet Use and Type Influence Facial Trauma Occurrence and Severity in Motorcyclists? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This article consists of a systematic review of the literature, which verified whether the use and types of helmets reduce the occurrence and severity of facial fractures in hospitalized motorcyclists after traffic accidents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Prevalence studies and cohort studies, published in Latin American languages with no restrictions on publication dates, were considered. Two authors independently screened reference lists for eligible articles, assessed them for inclusion criteria, and extracted the data using a specific form. Twenty-six articles were selected, all prevalence studies.

RESULTS

The patients who used a helmet had a lower prevalence and severity of facial fractures, compared to patients who did not wear a helmet. There were no differences in the occurrence of lower third fractures between patients who used or did not wear a helmet at the time of the trauma; as well as in meta-analysis of occurrence and severity of facial trauma between helmet types (open or closed).

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that the use of helmet leads to a lower number of fractures and severity of trauma when compared to nonuse. Regarding the type of helmet, there was no difference in the occurrence and severity of facial fracture in individuals who used closed or opened helmets.