The Impact Of Text Message (SMS) Reminders On Helmet Use Among Motorcycle Drivers In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Road Traffic Injury Prevention; Helmet Use; mHealth Intervention
• Interventions: Behavioral: SMS message reminder

• Registration Number: NCT02120742
• Lead Sponsor: Amend

Brief Summary

This study seeks to evaluate the impact of a text-message (SMS) program delivered to motorcycle drivers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The SMS program, delivered by nonprofit Amend, sends daily reminders to motorcycle drivers to remind them to wear their helmets. In this study, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to see if this program leads to increased helmet use over time. The investigators will recruit between 350-400 motorcycle drivers to receive the text program. The investigators will obtain each of their cell phone numbers, and the participants will be split into three groups. The first group will receive reminders framed as social norming (ie "Most of your peers wear helmets"). The second group will receive reminders framed as fear appeals (ie "Not wearing your helmet increases your chance of dying in an accident"). The third group will act as the control and receive texts that relate to general road safety, but not helmet use. All groups will receive the same general road safety information being delivered to the control arm. The purpose of sending different types of reminders is to assess which type of messages are more likely to cause a motorcycle driver to regularly wear their helmet. The investigators will survey the participants at the initiation of the study and after weeks 3 and 6 during the study, asking about their helmet use. This will be a short survey, and any personal information gathered during the study (ie, phone numbers), will be securely stored so as to protect their privacy.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-04
• Study First Submitted: 2014-04-19
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-04-22
• Study First Posted: 2014-04-23
• Primary Completion: 2014-06
• Status Verified: 2015-09
• Study Completion: 2015-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-09-28
• Last Update Posted: 2015-09-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 391

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18 or older
• Must own a cell phone with text-message features
• Must demonstrate ability to retrieve and read text-messages
• Must have access to a helmet.

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Fear Appeal	SMS message reminder	The second group will receive SMS message reminders framed as fear appeals (ie "Not wearing your helmet increases your chance of dying in an accident").
Social Norming	SMS message reminder	The first group will receive SMS message reminders framed as social norming (ie "Most of your peers wear helmets").
Control	SMS message reminder	The third group will act as the control and receive texts that relate to general road safety, but not helmet use.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Self-reported adherence to helmet use	Endpoint of study (6 weeks)	The primary outcome of the study will be self-reported adherence to helmet use as measured by the proportion of participants who wear their helmet on all trips

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Attitude change	6 weeks	A secondary outcome will be participants' attitudes toward helmet use and the SMS reminder platform, as measured by an open-ended survey at the end of the study.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; 🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam, Upanga West, Tanzania