Fundamentals of occupational health and safety practices outside the workplace among health professionals in Ghana: an assessment of determinants of crash helmet use in the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the determinants of crash helmet use outside workplace among healthcare professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) in Ghana. Grounded in the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and Social Cognitive Theory, the study emphasizes the roles of personal attitudes, perceived risks, and social influences in promoting safety behavior. By integrating these theoretical frameworks, the study highlights how individual beliefs and societal factors can impact the adoption of safety measures. METHODS: Employing a cross-sectional quantitative design, the study aimed to assess helmet usage among healthcare professionals. The target population consisted of approximately 4,000 staff members at TTH. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table, a sample size of 400 participants was determined. Stratified random sampling was implemented to ensure adequate representation across various job roles, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics. The dependent variable in this study was helmet usage, categorized as binary (uses/does not use), while the independent variables included job role, safety training (received/not received), years of experience, and attitudes towards safety. A structured questionnaire, incorporating closed and Likert-scale questions, was utilized to capture demographic data, helmet use habits, and safety attitudes. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS version 27, applying logistic regression, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis to assess the relationships between the variables. RESULTS: The findings indicated that safety training (β = 0.80, p < 0.001) and positive attitudes towards safety (β = 0.005, p = 0.005) significantly influenced helmet use. Medical doctors emerged as the most compliant group, demonstrating a higher likelihood of helmet usage (β = 0.43, p < 0.001). Years of experience exhibited varying effects on helmet compliance, with professionals at different career stages showing distinct usage patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the need for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing safety training and cultivating positive safety attitudes to improve helmet compliance among healthcare professionals. The study emphasizes that, to bolster helmet usage, healthcare institutions should expand safety training programs, promote a culture of safety, and develop tailored strategies to address the unique needs of various job roles within the healthcare setting.