| Background: Helmet use by motorcyclists decreases the incidence and severity of an injury and its
related death. Unfortunately, the helmet use rate is not in an acceptable level in Iran. This study
aimed to systematically identify the determinants and barriers of helmet use among Iranian motorcyclists.
Methods: A systematic search of literature was done using PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and
Web of knowledge databases for English literature and SID for Persian articles by specified
keywords. Manual searching and reference of references were used to improve the articles
identification. Articles published before 1995 and those which did not report the barriers and
determinants of helmet use were excluded. Data were extracted using an extraction table.
Results: Out of 49 retrieved articles, 13 articles were included in the study. Most of them (70%)
had a cross-sectional design. Personal factors (such as older age, marital status and education)
and motorcyclist's attitude and beliefs about the helmet effectiveness were reported as important
determinants of helmet use. Helmet weight and its visual and audial limitation for motorcyclists
were known as the main reported barriers to use a helmet.
Conclusions: Interventions affecting the motorcyclists' attitude must be employed along with the
legal interventions. Moreover, cost-effective engineering improvements in helmet production
remain an important policy to improve the compliance of helmet use. |