Obese people are less likely to use their seatbelts than the
rest of the population, according to a new study by U.S.
researchers released on Wednesday.
The connection was made by Vanderbilt University psychologist
David Schlundt and his colleagues at Meharry Medical College in
Tennessee.
"We found that when weight goes up, seatbelt use goes down,"
Schlundt said. "This is an additional public health problem
associated with obesity that was not on the radar screen."
"We hope these new findings will help promote awareness
campaigns to encourage people to use their seatbelts and that
additional resources, like seatbelt extenders, will be made more
readily available." the release quoted Schlundt as saying.
The study result showed that approximately 30 percent of
individuals with a body mass index (BMI) -- kilograms per meter
squared -- that qualified them as overweight, obese or extremely
obese reported not using a seatbelt, compared to approximately 20
percent of the average population, according to the release.
Furthermore, seatbelt use declined as BMI increased, with
approximately 55 percent of overweight individuals reporting they
did not use a seatbelt.
Schlundt and his co-authors suggest that a reason why people
with a high BMI do not use seatbelts is because doing so is
uncomfortable.
"Efforts should be made to raise public awareness about seatbelt
extender availability, and manufacturers not offering seatbelt
extenders should be encouraged, or required, to make them
available," they wrote.
"Engineering solutions such as seatbelts with wider, more
cushioned bands and greater adjustability may also be helpful by
making seatbelts more comfortable for overweight and obese
persons."
Seatbelt usage reduces automobile crash-related deaths and
injuries by at least 50 percent.
(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2008)