Socioeconomic status and demographic factors influencing pedestrian safety behaviors: baseline results from the Persian traffic cohort.
4 affiliations
- 1Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- 2Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- 3Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. [email protected].
- 4Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract
Objective
Pedestrian safety remains a vital public health issue, with pedestrians representing a disproportionate share of traffic-related injuries. While socioeconomic status (SES) is a recognized health determinant, its connection to pedestrian behavior has been relatively understudied. This study explores how SES and demographic factors influence pedestrian behaviors in Tabriz, a busy urban area in northwest Iran.Methods
A cross-sectional, population-based study was carried out using data from 1,442 participants in the Persian Traffic Cohort. Participants aged 14 and above from Tabriz's second municipal district were randomly sampled during summer 2019. The study employed the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire and SESIran to evaluate safety behaviors (such as traffic violations, distractions, rule-following, positive actions, and aggression) and socioeconomic status. Linear regression analyses, controlling for potential confounders, identified factors associated with pedestrian behaviors, with statistical processing done using STATA v17.Results
Higher levels of education consistently correlated with safer pedestrian habits across all behavior categories. Younger individuals were more prone to risky behaviors like frequent traffic violations, distractions, and aggression, while older adults tended to act more safely. Female pedestrians adhered more closely to traffic rules and were less distracted than males. Walking for 60-120 min daily was linked to increased violations and overall riskier behavior compared to walking under 30 min. Greater SES was associated with more positive behaviors and better rule compliance. The association between SES and behaviors appeared to be largely accounted for by variables such as education level, age, and walking duration.Conclusion
The study recommends targeted interventions for groups at higher risk, such as young people and those with lower education, through educational campaigns and infrastructural improvements. Tackling SES-related disparities could enhance pedestrian safety, decrease injuries, and foster fairer road safety practices in urban Iran.
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BibTeX
@article{azizzadeh2026socioeconomic,
title = {{Socioeconomic status and demographic factors influencing pedestrian safety behaviors: baseline results from the Persian traffic cohort.}},
author = {Amirmohammad Azizzadeh and Elham Davtalab Esmaeili and Mina Golestani and Leila Vahedi and Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28809-9},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919203},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Socioeconomic status and demographic factors influencing pedestrian safety behaviors: baseline results from the Persian traffic cohort.
AU - Amirmohammad Azizzadeh
AU - Elham Davtalab Esmaeili
AU - Mina Golestani
AU - Leila Vahedi
AU - Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28809-9
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42919203
AB - Objective Pedestrian safety remains a vital public health issue, with pedestrians representing a disproportionate share of traffic-related injuries. While socioeconomic status (SES) is a recognized health determinant, its connection to pedestrian behavior has been relatively understudied. This study explores how SES and demographic factors influence pedestrian behaviors in Tabriz, a busy urban area in northwest Iran.Methods A cross-sectional, population-based study was carried out using data from 1,442 participants in the Persian Traffic Cohort. Participants aged 14 and above from Tabriz's second municipal district were randomly sampled during summer 2019. The study employed the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire and SESIran to evaluate safety behaviors (such as traffic violations, distractions, rule-following, positive actions, and aggression) and socioeconomic status. Linear regression analyses, controlling for potential confounders, identified factors associated with pedestrian behaviors, with statistical processing done using STATA v17.Results Higher levels of education consistently correlated with safer pedestrian habits across all behavior categories. Younger individuals were more prone to risky behaviors like frequent traffic violations, distractions, and aggression, while older adults tended to act more safely. Female pedestrians adhered more closely to traffic rules and were less distracted than males. Walking for 60-120 min daily was linked to increased violations and overall riskier behavior compared to walking under 30 min. Greater SES was associated with more positive behaviors and better rule compliance. The association between SES and behaviors appeared to be largely accounted for by variables such as education level, age, and walking duration.Conclusion The study recommends targeted interventions for groups at higher risk, such as young people and those with lower education, through educational campaigns and infrastructural improvements. Tackling SES-related disparities could enhance pedestrian safety, decrease injuries, and foster fairer road safety practices in urban Iran.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -