The Effectiveness of Health Education Intervention in Enhancing Personal Protective Equipment Use

Overview

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. We 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

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.