Effect of educational intervention on traffic accidents prevention: Theory of planned behavior

BACKGROUND: Traffic accidents are a serious challenge for community health. Lack of skills among youth, willingness to risky accidents, and traffic law violations play the main role in accidents. Therefore, this study aimed at the effect of educational intervention on traffic accident prevention in youth using a theory of planned behavior (TPB). METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2019 in Kurdistan Province, Iran, by participation of 240 young men. They were allocated randomly to the experimental (n = 120) and control (n = 120) groups. The intervention plan consisted of three training sessions and a film demonstration. The instrument was a designed questionnaire based on the TPB which was completed before and two months after the intervention. Data were analyzed by linear regression and t-test. RESULTS: The mean age of youth was 23.93 ± 3.10 years. Perceived behavioral control was the most predictive structure in behavioral intention. The mean scores of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and preventive traffic accident behavior in the experimental group had different significance compared to the control group after training (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Interventions aimed at promoting attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control can increase individuals' intentions to engage in health behaviors and motivate them to implement traffic accident prevention behaviors.