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

• Published in: International journal of injury control and safety promotion 2024-07, Vol.31 (3), p.431-469
• Main Authors: Shool, Sina, Piri, Seyed Mohammad, Ghodsi, Zahra, Tabrizi, Reza, Amirzade-Iranaq, Mohammad Hosein, Mashayekhi, Mahdieh, Dabbagh Ohadi, Mohammad Amin, Mojtabavi, Kurosh, Abbasnezhad, Reyhane, Vasighi, Kasra, Atlasi, Rasha, Ansari-Moghaddam, Alireza, Taghi Heydari, Seyed, Sharif-Alhoseini, Mahdi, Shafieian, Mehdi, O'Reilly, Gerard, Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Developing countries; head injuries; head protective devices; Helmets; Injuries; Injury analysis; LDCs; Legislation; Low income areas; Meta-analysis; mortality; Motorcycles; Passengers; Protective equipment; Public health; Regression analysis; Roads; Statistical analysis; Subgroups; Surveys; Systematic review; Traffic accidents & safety
• ISSN: 1745-7300; 1745-7319; 1745-7319
• DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2024.2335509

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.