Abstract

In Benin, professional motorcyclists represent a consistent part of transport services, particularly in the city of Cotonou. However, this activity remains poorly regulated, which contributes to the development of risky behaviors. Among these latter, there is not enough evidence about the use of mobile phones while driving. The study aims to estimate the prevalence of mobile phone use while driving and to identify the associated factors among professional motorcyclists in Cotonou. It was a cross-sectional study involving 430 registered professional motorcyclists at parking lots in Cotonou in 2019. Univariate and multivariate analysis by the logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with mobile use while driving. The prevalence of mobile phone use while driving was 12.47%. Multivariate revealed that factors associated with mobile phone use during driving among professional motorcyclists were alcohol consumption (AOR=2.10; 95% CI: [1.15-3.83]) and service length less than 10 years (AOR=2.20; 95%CI: [1.15-4.71]). Given the place of professional motorcyclists in public transport system and the hazard for consumers, use of mobile while riding should necessarily be addressed through road safety interventions and law enforcement. Faced with conjunction of risk behavior among this population, the findings highlighted also the needs of integrative approach in interventions towards professional motorcyclists.

Key words: Mobile phone, risk factors, road traffic accident, Benin