Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24675288›Full record

ArticleJournal of epidemiology and community health2014

Social inequality in motorcycle helmet use: when a reduction in inequality is not necessarily good news.

Shu-Ti Chiou, Tsung-Hsueh Lu, Ching-Huei Lai, Tung-Liang Chiang, Ichiro Kawachi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Shu-Ti ChiouHealth Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tsung-Hsueh LuDepartment of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Ching-Huei LaiSafety Division, Institute of Transportation, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tung-Liang ChiangInstitute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ichiro KawachiDepartment of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe sought to examine changes in the magnitude of social inequality in motorcycle helmet use in Taiwan between 2001 and 2009.

methodsUsing data from the 2001 and 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Surveys, we calculated absolute (the slope index of inequality, SII) and relative (relative index of inequality, RII) measures of inequality in helmet use by three indicators of socioeconomic position.

resultsThe rate of motorcycle helmet use was 92% (14 801/16 100) in 2001 and decreased to 89% (15 748/17 948) in 2009. We noted a significant decrease in social inequality in helmet use in RII according to urbanisation level, a significant decrease in SII and RII according to income level, and a significant increase in SII according to education level. The reduction in RII according to urbanisation level was more prominent than that based on income level, from 1.73 (95% CI 1.63 to 1.84) in 2001 to 1.33 (95% CI 1.27 to 1.39) in 2009. The decline in helmet use was most prominent for motorcycle users who live in suburban areas, from 94% in 2001 to 88% in 2009.

conclusionsThe significant reduction of social inequality in helmet use according to urbanisation level and income is not a public health success story. Rather, it is a warning sign of slackening law enforcement in Taiwan.

Indexed as

IncomeUrbanizationAdolescentAdultChildFemaleHead Protective DevicesHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchTaiwanYoung AdultHealth BehaviourInjurySocial Inequalities

Identifiers

PMID24675288
PMCPMC4112434

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