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Assessing risky and protective behaviors among pedestrians in the Dominican Republic: New evidence about pedestrian safety in the Caribbean

  • Authors: Francisco Alonso, Oscar Oviedo, Javier Gene, Sergio Useche
  • (2021).
  • Publication types: Article
  • Publication Title (name of the book or magazine): Journal of Transport & Health.
  • No.22:101145

  • Abstract:

    Introduction Research on pedestrians’ behavior and safety in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scarce, compared to high-income economies. This study aimed to present the validation of the Walking Behavior Questionnaire (WBQ), which has not been tested before in the Dominican Republic, and to evaluate age differences in walking-related self-reported behaviors. Methods For this study, a nationwide sample of 1026 pedestrians answered a questionnaire on risky and safe walking behaviors. Psychometric properties of the WBQ, variable correlations and age-based differences in walking were tested. Results Overall, the WBQ presented an adequate structure, goodness-of-fit indexes, and high reliability. Significant correlations between walking-related variables and demographic factors, as well as key differences in walking behaviors among young people, adults, and aging adults were found. Conclusions These results provide a strong background for assessing walking behaviors through the WBQ (for the first time in an LMIC), as -apart from presenting fair psychometric properties-it highlights the existence of walking pattern-related and demographic differences in the risky behaviors performed by pedestrians.

  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2021.101145
    ISSN: 2214-1405