Seat-belt use and non-use in adults in Slovenia

Aim: To identify population groups at risk of non-use of seat belts in front and rear seats in order to enable more focused planning of preventive actions in Slovenia. Methods: The national health behaviour survey of 15,379 adults aged 25-64, carried out in 2001; response rate 64 %; 9,043 questionnaires eligible for analysis. The observed outcomes: non-use of seat belts in the front and rear seats. Logistic regression was used for relating gender, age, education level, socio-economic factors and geographical region to the observed outcomes. Results: Non-use of seat belts in the front seats: 5.7 %; the highest odds: males (ORmales vs. females = 1.89, p < 0.001), aged 25-29 (OR25-29 vs. 50-59 = 2.68, p < 0.001), the lowest education level (ORuncompleted primary vs. university education = 2.77, p = 0.001), upper social class (ORupper vs. lower = 3.54, p = 0.0 14), western Slovenia (ORwestern vs. eastern = 1.31, p = 0.027). Non-use of seat belts in the rear seats: 65.2 %; the highest odds: aged 25-29 (OR25-29 vs. 60-64 = 2.83, p < 0.001), vocational (ORvocational vs. university education = 1.36, p = 0.005) and secondary education level (ORsecondary vs. university education = 1.36, p = 0.003), western Slovenia (ORwestern vs. eastern = 1.37, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both observed outcomes are a problem particularly in younger age groups with secondary education level or lower, living in western Slovenia; non-use of seat belts in the front seats also in males and in upper social class.