Study of the Prevalence and Factors Associated with Accidents on Public Roads Among Motorcyclists in the Health District of Kaolack (Senegal) in 2019

Road accidents are a public health problem throughout the world, particularly in developing countries such as Senegal. In the Kaolack region, located in the centre of the country, the advent of motorbikes commonly known as ‘Moto Jakarta’ has only increased this road morbidity and mortality, the consequences of which are taking a heavy toll on global and national economies, as well as household finances. It is in this context that this study was undertaken to identify the factors associated with road accidents among motorcyclists in the Kaolack health district. A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted during the first half of 2019. Among motorcyclists active in the Kaolack health district. A recruitment of 400 motorcyclists meeting the inclusion criteria was carried out. Data were analysed using Epi Info and R software. Qualitative variables were described by absolute and relative frequencies and quantitative variables by mean, standard deviation and extremes. The binary logistic regression method was used for the multivariate analysis. The adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) with their 95% confidence intervals were determined for each variable retained in the final model. The average age of participants was 27.5. Motorbike taxi drivers were in the majority (61%). Only 17.8% of participants had a driving licence. More than half of the drivers (63.7%) had been involved in a road accident at least once in their lifetime. Road accidents among motorcyclists were favoured by the fact that they: living outside Kaolack (aOR = 3.7 [1.4-9.7]); driving a motorbike that was at least 5 years old (aOR =1.8 [1.5-3]); owning the motorbike (aOR =1.9 [1.1-3]); driving at night (aOR =1.8 [1.1-2.9]); drinking alcohol (aOR = 3.1 [1.5-3.4]) and driving with more than one supported person (aOR =2.0 [1.2-3.2]). Road accidents among motorcyclists are a real public health problem in the Kaolack region. More in-depth investigations, particularly of a qualitative nature, will be needed to gain a more exhaustive understanding of this phenomenon, in order to provide a more rigorous and well-founded basis for decision-making in this area.