Are Traffic Announcements Really Effective? A Systematic Review of Evaluations of Crash-Prevention Communication Campaigns

Mireia Faus; Francisco Alonso; Cesáreo Fernández; Sergio A. Useche

doi:10.3390/safety7040066

Are Traffic Announcements Really Effective? A Systematic Review of Evaluations of Crash-Prevention Communication Campaigns

Safety ◽

10.3390/safety7040066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 66

Author(s):

Mireia Faus ◽

Francisco Alonso ◽

Cesáreo Fernández ◽

Sergio A. Useche

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Road Safety ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Road User ◽

Search Term ◽

Safety Education ◽

Crash Prevention ◽

User Attitudes ◽

Communication Campaigns ◽

Positive Effect

Communication campaigns are commonly used in the traffic and road safety sector to raise public awareness of the importance of avoiding risky road user attitudes and behaviors. Surprisingly few of these communication campaigns evaluate their effectiveness in a formal and comprehensive manner. The core aim of the present systematic review is to identify the type of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns in this sector, in order to identify and contrast their main findings. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology, by means of which the relevant articles based on the search term were identified. A total of 613 indexed articles were filtered, and a final set of 27 articles directly addressing the issue was analyzed. Search strategies were developed and conducted in WOS, Scopus, NCBI, Google Scholar and APA databases. The selected articles point out that, although advertisements alone have a certain positive effect, their effectiveness is substantially increased if they are accompanied by other preventive measures such as legislation or road safety education. In any case, more evaluations of traffic campaigns are needed to identify which techniques are effective and which are not, and which should therefore be replaced by new methods of behavior modification in future communication campaigns.

Download Full-text

Road User Attitudes and Their Reported Behaviours in Abuja, Nigeria

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084222 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4222

Author(s):

Uchenna Nnabuihe Uhegbu ◽

Miles R. Tight

Keyword(s):

Road Safety ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Road User ◽

Traffic Crashes ◽

Road Traffic Crashes ◽

The Road ◽

Road Users ◽

User Attitudes ◽

The Government ◽

The Right

The continuous increases in the numbers of road traffic crashes (RTC) over the years, especially in developing countries, have been a source of worry. The majority of the RTC are attributed to road user behaviours exhibited by the drivers. This study sets out to investigate the road user attitudes and behaviours in Abuja, Nigeria. A total of 1526 questionnaires were distributed, of which 321 questionnaires were completed and returned. The questionnaires tried to understand four major road user behaviours, namely use of seatbelts, drink driving, use of mobile phone while driving, and use of child restraints. The results after analysing the questionnaires showed that the majority of the road users in Abuja showed high non-compliance with the use of seatbelts, either when driving or when being driven. About 64% of the respondents admitted to not using seatbelts. Results from the cross-tabulation process showed that the high non-compliance to seatbelt usage was statistically associated with young, single road users. Around one-third of Abuja road users admitted to drink driving. Road users who were married engaged in more frequent drink driving than road users who were single, and the association was statistically significant. A high percentage of Abuja road users admitted to using mobile phones while driving and 55.8% of the total respondents admitted to not using child restraints while driving. A lack of child restraints was statistically associated more with male road users than female road users. It is recommended that stricter enforcement of road safety laws should be undertaken and that the government should provide road safety agents with the right equipment (e.g., speed guns, breathalyzers) that would aid road safety agents to perform their duties effectively in order to curb the excessive bad road user behaviours in Abuja.

Download Full-text

8A.007 Evaluating the impact of a road safety education project in Madagascar schools

10.1136/injuryprev-2021-safety.189 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paolo Perego ◽

Federica Biassoni ◽

Ana Luisa Silva ◽

Sam Clark ◽

Jesse Randrianarisoa

Keyword(s):

Road Safety ◽

Safety Education ◽

Education Project ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

231 Breast Lymphedema After Breast Conservative Surgery; An Up-To-Date Systematic Review

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab134.245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

M Abouelazayem ◽

M Elkorety ◽

S Monib

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Breast Surgery ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Conservative Surgery ◽

Breast Size ◽

Search Term ◽

Common Complication ◽

Breast Conservative Surgery ◽

Conservative Breast Surgery

Abstract Background While arm lymphedema following breast cancer treatment is a common complication; breast lymphedema following treatment is not uncommon. Several risk factors were found to contribute to breast lymphedema, Aim: We aimed to provide a systematic review to help avoiding or management of breast lymphoedema Method The search term 'breast lymphedema' was combined with 'breast conservative surgery' and was used to conduct literature research in PubMed and Medline. The term lymphedema was combined with breast, conservative and surgery to search Embase database. All papers published in English were included with no exclusion date limits Results A total of 2155 female patients were included in this review; age ranged from 26 to 90. Mean BMI was 28.4, most of the studies included patients who underwent conservative breast surgery. Incidence of breast lymphedema ranged from 24.8% to 90.4%. Several risk factors were linked to breast lymphedema after conservative breast surgery, such as body mass index (BMI), breast size, tumour size, tumour site, type of surgery and adjuvant therapy. Treatment options focused on decongestive lymphatic therapy, including Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), self-massaging, compression bras or Kinesio taping. Conclusions Breast lymphedema is a relatively common complication, yet there is no clear consensus on the definition or treatment options.

Download Full-text

Implementation Intentions to Reduce Smoking: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntaa235 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Charlotte J Hagerman ◽

Rebecca K Hoffman ◽

Sruthi Vaylay ◽

Tonya Dodge

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Implementation Intentions ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Implementation Intention ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Current Systematic Review ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Positive Effect

Abstract Implementation intentions are a goal-setting technique in which an individual commits to perform a particular behavior when a specific context arises. Recently, researchers have begun studying how implementation intention (II) interventions can facilitate antismoking efforts. The current systematic review synthesized results of experimental studies that tested the effect of an II intervention on smoking cognitions and behavior. Of 29 reviewed articles, 11 studies met inclusion criteria. Nine studies (81.8%) tested an II intervention as a cessation tool for current smokers, whereas two tested II interventions as a tool to prevent smoking among predominantly nonsmoking adolescents. A majority of the studies (66.7%) testing II interventions as a cessation tool reported a positive effect on cessation at long-term follow-up. Of the two studies testing II interventions as a tool for prevention, one study found a positive effect on long-term follow-up. Methodology varied between the studies, highlighting the discrepancies between what researchers consider “implementation intentions” to be. II interventions are a promising tool for antismoking efforts, but more research is necessary to determine the best methodology and the populations for whom this intervention will be most effective. Implications Brief, free, and easily scalable, II interventions to prevent smoking are highly attractive for antismoking efforts. This review outlines the circumstances under which II interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in helping people resist smoking cigarettes. We illuminate gaps in the existing literature, limitations, methodological discrepancies between studies, and areas for future study.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of the effectiveness of skin preparation methods for the reduction of Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) in shoulder surgery: a systematic review

Shoulder & Elbow ◽

10.1177/17585732211032523 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 175857322110325

Author(s):

Maria Sagkrioti ◽

Stephen Glass ◽

Georgios Arealis

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Side Effects ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Shoulder Surgery ◽

Skin Preparation ◽

Preparation Methods ◽

Cutibacterium Acnes ◽

Surgery Outcomes ◽

Positive Effect

Background Cutibacterium acnes ( C. acnes) is the most common pathogen responsible for post-operative shoulder infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of skin preparation methods against C. acnes in shoulder surgery. Methods A systematic review was conducted evaluating the effectiveness of skin preparation methods in the reduction of C. acnes in patients undergoing shoulder surgery. Outcomes were assessed based on the effectiveness of the method used; side effects and cost were also analysed. Results Of the 19 included studies, 9 evaluated pre-surgical home treatments: 8 assessed benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and 6 concluded it is effective in reducing C. acnes. Nine studies assessed surgical skin preparation and concluded that Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) was not effective; in contrast hydrogen peroxide reduced C. acnes. Finally, one study evaluated an aseptic protocol using CHG and concluded that it was not effective. Conclusions It was demonstrated that BPO as home treatment is effective in reducing C. acnes load on skin ; it rarely causes side effects and is also cost-effective. This study highlights non-effectiveness of CHG. There was some evidence that the addition of hydrogen peroxide could have a positive effect in the reduction of C. acnes skin load; however, more studies are required.

Download Full-text

Effectiveness of Oral Nutritional Supplements on Older People with Anorexia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030835 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 835

Author(s):

Mengqi Li ◽

Si Zhao ◽

Shuang Wu ◽

Xiufen Yang ◽

Hui Feng

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Body Weight ◽

Older People ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Nutritional Supplements ◽

The Elderly ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Oral Nutritional Supplements ◽

Positive Effect

Background: Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining the overall health of older people. Inadequate intake may lead to impaired body function, higher morbidity, and mortality. Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) showed positive effect on the nutritional status of the elderly; however, systematic evidence is currently lacking on the effect of ONS on the elderly with anorexia. Aims: The current systematic review and meta-analysis included randomized controlled trial (RCT) articles to investigate the effectiveness of ONS on the main aspects of anorexia of aging (AA). Methods: By using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, researchers independently searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and other gray literature resources for publications that met the inclusion criteria by October 2020. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tools were used for quality assessment. The inverse-variance method was used for the fixed model (FM) while the DerSimonian–Laird method was used for the random model (RM). Respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) was used for indices in terms of effect size (ES). Results: 2497 records were found through the systematic search, while 17 RCTs (n = 1204) were included, with a mean age of 81.9 years (range: 74–87 years). Supplementation occurred in the morning, mid-day, and evening, while the times varied from one to three times a day. The results of meta-analysis showed that, generally, ONS had a positive effect on the overall appetite, MD = 0.18, 95% CI (0.03, 0.33), p = 0.02, and consumption, MD = 1.43, 95% CI (0.01, 2.86), p = 0.05; but not significant in terms of other aspects of appetite: hunger, p = 0.73; fullness, p = 0.60; desire to eat, p = 0.80; preoccupation, p = 0.15. Additionally, it showed an increase in the overall energy intake, SMD = 0.46, 95% CI (0.29, 0.63), p < 0.001, in protein intake, SMD = 0.59, 95% CI (0.16, 1.02), p = 0.007, and in fat intake, MD = 3.47, 95% CI (1.98, 4.97), p < 0.001, while no positive effect was found on carbohydrates intake, p = 0.06. Significance differences were also found in the body weight, SMD = 0.53, 95% CI (0.41, 0.65), p < 0.001, and body mass index (BMI), MD = 0.53, 95% CI (0.12, 0.95), p = 0.01. Moreover, subgroup analyses were conducted according to the nutrient density with no positive results showed except for the low-density ONS on overall energy intake. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that ONS had beneficial effects on overall appetite, energy intake, body weight and BMI.

Download Full-text

P5.003 Behaviour of young road users in context of school road safety education

10.1136/injuryprev-2021-safety.223 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aneta Wnuk

Keyword(s):

Road Safety ◽

Safety Education ◽

Road Users

Download Full-text

Exploring the Relationship between Attitudes, Risk Perceptions, Fatalistic Beliefs and Pedestrian Behaviors in China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073378 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3378

Author(s):

Mingyu Liu ◽

Jianping Wu ◽

Adnan Yousaf ◽

Linyang Wang ◽

Kezhen Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Road Safety ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Influential Factor ◽

Health Concern ◽

Gender Attitudes ◽

Safety Education ◽

Safety Intervention ◽

Training Activities ◽

The Relationship ◽

Additional Variance

Road safety has become a worldwide public health concern. Although many factors contribute to collisions, pedestrian behaviors can strongly influence road safety outcomes. This paper presents results of a survey investigating the effects of age, gender, attitudes towards road safety, fatalistic beliefs and risk perceptions on self-reported pedestrian behaviors in a Chinese example. The study was carried out on 543 participants (229 men and 314 women) from 20 provinces across China. Pedestrian behaviors were assessed by four factors: errors, violations, aggressions, and lapses. Younger people reported performing riskier pedestrian behaviors compared to older people. Gender was not an influential factor. Of the factors explored, attitudes towards road safety explained the most amount of variance in self-reported behaviors. Significant additional variance in risky pedestrian behaviors was explained by the addition of fatalistic beliefs. The differences among the effects, and the implications for road safety intervention design, are discussed. In particular, traffic managers can provide road safety education and related training activities to influence pedestrian behaviors positively.

Download Full-text

An Adaptive Game-Based Learning Strategy for Children Road Safety Education and Practice in Virtual Space

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21113661 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 3661

Author(s):

Noman Khan ◽

Khan Muhammad ◽

Tanveer Hussain ◽

Mansoor Nasir ◽

Muhammad Munsif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real World ◽

Road Safety ◽

Learning Strategy ◽

Real Life ◽

Safety Training ◽

Virtual Space ◽

Safety Education ◽

Average Output ◽

Training Environment ◽

The Road

Virtual reality (VR) has been widely used as a tool to assist people by letting them learn and simulate situations that are too dangerous and risky to practice in real life, and one of these is road safety training for children. Traditional video- and presentation-based road safety training has average output results as it lacks physical practice and the involvement of children during training, without any practical testing examination to check the learned abilities of a child before their exposure to real-world environments. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a 3D realistic open-ended VR and Kinect sensor-based training setup using the Unity game engine, wherein children are educated and involved in road safety exercises. The proposed system applies the concepts of VR in a game-like setting to let the children learn about traffic rules and practice them in their homes without any risk of being exposed to the outside environment. Thus, with our interactive and immersive training environment, we aim to minimize road accidents involving children and contribute to the generic domain of healthcare. Furthermore, the proposed framework evaluates the overall performance of the students in a virtual environment (VE) to develop their road-awareness skills. To ensure safety, the proposed system has an extra examination layer for children’s abilities evaluation, whereby a child is considered fit for real-world practice in cases where they fulfil certain criteria by achieving set scores. To show the robustness and stability of the proposed system, we conduct four types of subjective activities by involving a group of ten students with average grades in their classes. The experimental results show the positive effect of the proposed system in improving the road crossing behavior of the children.

Download Full-text