Effectiveness of a TPB-based educational intervention to reduce mobile phone use while driving in Rasht city, Iran
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: Traffic accidents are a critical global public health problem, and cell phone use while driving has been identified as a major contributing factor. Despite legislative measures, distracted driving persists, requiring additional educational interventions. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)-based educational program in reducing mobile phone use while driving among agency drivers in Rasht, Iran. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 151 agency drivers, divided into intervention (n=76) and control (n=75) groups. The intervention consisted of three TPB-based educational sessions targeting awareness, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Data was collected pre- and two months post-intervention using a validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses included chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: Post-intervention, significant improvements were observed in the intervention group across TPB constructs. Knowledge scores increased from 0.92±0.11 to 0.99±0.3 (p=0.001), attitude scores rose from 23.48±2.75 to 24.66±1.78 (p=0.001), and perceived behavioral control improved from 21.42±4.88 to 24.72±2.92 (p=0.001). Similarly, behavioral intention increased from 22.59±3.81 to 25.12±1.21 (p=0.001), and subjective norm scores rose from 22.43±3.56 to 25.19±1.51 (p=0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in these constructs. However, no significant reduction in actual mobile phone use behavior was observed in the intervention group (15.55±3.72 to 15.58±3.77; p=0.31). Conclusion: The TPB-based educational intervention improved psychological determinants of mobile phone use while driving but did not significantly change behavior. These findings highlight the need to combine educational programs with stricter regulations and technological measures to achieve meaningful reductions in distracted driving.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.References
1. Peden SRM, Sleet DMD, Hyder EJAA, Mathers C. World report on road traffic injury prevention. Geneve: World Health Organization, 2004.
2. Ashoogh M, Aghamolaei T, Ghanbarnejad A, Tajvar A. Utilizing the theory of planned behavior to Prediction the safety driving behaviors in truck drivers in Bandar Abbas 1392. Iran J Health Educ Health Promot. 2013;1(3):5-14.
3. World Health Organization (WHO). Global status report on road safety. Road traffic deaths and proportion of deaths by road user. Geneva; 2013.
4. World Health Organization (WHO). Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneve: WHO; 2019.
5. World Health Organization (WHO). Global status report on road safety. Geneva: WHO; 2015.
6. Moeini B, Shahkolai FR, Faradmal J, Soheylizad M. Effect of an educational program based on the health belief model to reduce cell phone usage during driving in taxi drivers. J Educ Community Health. 2014;1(2):56-66. https://doi.org/10.20286/jech-010256
7. Mousavi-Sadati SK, Va'ez-Mousavi MK, Amir-tash AM, Khalaji H. The Effect of Cell Phone Conversation on Drivers’ Reaction Time to Audio Stimulus: Investigating the Theory of Multiple Resources and Central Resource of Attention. Arch Rehabil. 2011;11(4):67-72.
8. Asgharabad AA, Tahami AN, Khanjani N. The rate of hand-held mobile phone use while driving in Kerman, Iran. Al Ameen J Med Sci. 2013;6(2):106-11.
9. Omidi S, Farmanbar R, Mokhtarpour S. The effect of educational intervention based on the precede-proceed model on promoting traffic safety behaviors in primary school students of Tabriz in 2014. J Educ Community Health. 2016;2(4):48-56. https://doi.org/10.21859/jech-02047
10. Morowatisharifabad MA, Sarvestani MM, Firoozabadi AB, Fallahzadeh H. Predictors of unsafe driving in Yazd City, based on protection motivation theory in 2010. J Inter Med Today. 2012;17(4):49-59.
11. Ajzen I. Residual effects of past on later behavior: Habituation and reasoned action perspectives. Personality Soc Psychol Rev. 2002;6(2):107-22. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0602_0
12. Ajzen I. The theory of planned behavior. Organizat Behav Hum Decision Proc. 1991;50(2):179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
13. Conner M, Sparks P. The Theory of Planned Behavior. In: Conner M, Norman P. Predicting Health Behaviour: Research and Practice with Social Cognition Models. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2005; p. 121-62.
14. Rezaeian M, Sharifirad G, Mostafavi F, Moodi M, Abbasi MH. The effects of breast cancer educational intervention on knowledge and health beliefs of women 40 years and older, Isfahan, Iran. J Educ Health Promot. 2014;3:43. https://doi.org/10.4103/2277-9531.131929
15. Taghdisi MH, Nejadsadeghi E. The effect of health education based on health belief model on behavioral promotion of urinary infection prevention in pregnant women. J Res Health. 2012;2(1):44-54.
16. Jadgal KM, Zareban I, Rakhshani F, Shahrakipour M, Sepehrvand B, Sivaki HA. The effect of health education according to the theory of planned behavior on malaria preventive behavior in rural men of Chabahar. J Res Health. 2012;2(2):237-46.
17. Zhang J, Shi L, Chen D, Wang J, Wang Y. Using the theory of planned behavior to examine effectiveness of an educational intervention on infant feeding in China. Prev Med. 2009;49(6):529-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.10.002
18. Jalambadani Z, Zadeh DS, Hoseini M, Sadeghi R. The effect of education for iron consumption based on the theory of planned behavior in pregnant women in Mashhad. J Multidiscip Care. 2015;4(2):59-68.
19. Pakpour HA, Mohammadi ZI, Mohammadi ZB. The impact of health education based on theory of planned behavior on the prevention of AIDS among adolescents. Iran J Nurs. 2012;25(78):1-13.
20. Tavousi M, Heydarnia AR, Montazeri A, Taremian F, Hajizadeh E, Ghofranipour FA. Modification of reasoned action theory and comparison with the original version by path analysis for substance abuse prevention among adolescents. Hormozgan Med J Year. 2010;14(1):45-54.
21. Tabatabaei A, Taghdisi MH, Nakheei N, Balali F. Effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behaviour on the physical activities of Kerman health Center’s staff (2008). J Babol Univ Med Sci. 2010;12(2):62-9.
22. Parrott MW, Tennant LK, Olejnik S, Poudevigne MS. Theory of planned behavior: Implications for an email-based physical activity intervention. Psychol Sport Exercise. 2008;9(4):511-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2007.07.002
23. Reger B, Cooper L, Booth-Butterfield S, Smith H, Bauman A, Wootan M, et al. Wheeling Walks: a community campaign using paid media to encourage walking among sedentary older adults. Prev Med. 2002;35(3):285-92. https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2002.1074
24. Caron F, Godin G, Otis J, Lambert LD. Evaluation of a theoretically based AIDS/STD peer education program on postponing sexual intercourse and on condom use among adolescents attending high school. Health Educ Res. 2004;19(2):185-97. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyg017
25. Ali M, Zeynab SSK. Application and comparison of the theories of health belief model and planned behavior in determining the predictive factors associated with seat belt use among drivers in Sabzevar. Iran J Med Educ. 2012;11(7):807-18.
26. Fowler BA, Rodney M, Roberts S, Broadus L. Collaborative breast health intervention for African American women of lower socioeconomic status. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2005;32(6):1207-16. https://doi.org/10.1188/05.ONF.1207-1216
27. Jalambadani Z, Garmaroudi G, Tavousi M. Education based on theory of planned behavior over sexual function of women with breast cancer in Iran. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2018;5(2):201-7. https://doi.org/10.4103/apjon.apjon_67_17