Prevalence of Undergraduate Students of Khon Kaen University, who Used Mobile Phone While Driving

Abstract

Background : The in-vehicle use of mobile phone is rapidly increasing. It may lead to the traffic accidents and injuries which are the important  public health problems in Thailand and Khon Kaen University (KKU).

Objectives : To study the prevalence, pattern and attitude of using mobile phone while driving among undergraduate students of Khon Kaen University.

Design : Descriptive study

Setting : Khon Kaen University.

Population and samples : 385 undergraduate students who registered in the first semester of 2006 academic year were randomly selected from the total of 14,995 students by systematic sampling.

Tool : Self-administered questionnaire.

Analysis : Data analysis was accomplished by using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage , 95% CI, median and interquatile range.

Results  : The prevalence of using mobile phone while driving of KKU. undergraduate students was 76.3% (95%CI: 71.1%, 80.7%) or 90.0% of  samples that using mobile phone and can drive or ride the vehicles and 70.0% of samples had used in the past year (95% CI: 64.6%, 74.9%). Most of them used the mobile phone for talking (99.2%). 67.2% of users group used hand-free for talking.  4.1% of users were used to have the traffic accident while using the mobile phone while driving or riding (95% CI: 2.1%, 7.6%).  89.1% of samples think that using the mobile phone while driving or riding was decrease ability of driving performance.

Conclusion : Most of undergraduate students of Khon Kaen University still use mobile phone while driving or riding although they think that behavior was decreased ability of driving or riding performance, thus target groups for intervention efforts against using the mobile phone while driving are suggested.

Key words  : prevalence used, mobile phone.