[The prevalence of seatbelt usage among university lecturers]

We aimed to determine the ratio of seatbelt (SB) usage among professors of Faculty of Medicine (Gazi University Faculty of Medicine - GUFM).

Lecturers of GUFM were observed for five working days during their proceeding to, and entrance and exit from the parking lot, and their SB usage ratio was noted. The data were recorded according to their academic status, age and gender as well as the clinics in which they work.

A total of 392 teaching staff (253 males [64.54%], 139 females [35.46%]) were enrolled in the study and their data were recorded. Three hundred and six lecturers (78%) were of high academic level (Professor or Associate Professor), and were over 40 years. A total of 86 teaching staff (22%) held an academic level of Assistant Professor and Instructor and were younger than 40 years. We observed that 50 lecturers (12.76%) did not have a habit of wearing a SB. Among the lecturers not regularly using a SB, 40 (80%) were men, and again, 40 lecturers (80%) were of a high academic level (Professor or Associate Professor) and over 40 years. Of the lecturers driving without a SB, 46 (92%) were employed in Clinical Sciences. Most of the lecturers (30 academicians - 65.2%) driving without a SB and on staff in Clinical Sciences were the teaching staff of the Surgical Science Departments (General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Anesthesiology, etc).

The SB usage rate is low in Turkey. It shows an increase with higher educational level. The ratio of SB usage habit is high amongst the lecturers (87.24%). It is noteworthy that the physicians working in surgical departments, who face post-accidental cases in their practice more often than other physicians, ignore the use of a SB.