Mobile phone use while driving: Development and validation of knowledge, attitude, and practice survey instruments

Area of Science:

• Road safety research
• Public health interventions
• Survey methodology

Background:

• Mobile phone use while driving is a significant contributor to distracted driving.
• Effective interventions require accurate assessment of drivers' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP).
• Existing tools may not adequately capture these KAP aspects specific to mobile phone use while driving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate KAP-modeled survey instruments for assessing mobile phone hazards knowledge (KMPHD), attitude towards mobile phone use (AMPUD), and practice of mobile phone use (PMPUD) while driving.
• To provide reliable and valid tools for researchers and intervention designers.
• To establish a foundation for understanding and mitigating mobile phone-induced distracted driving.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analytical survey conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria.
• Development of three distinct instruments: KMPHD, AMPUD, and PMPUD.
• Rigorous validation process including content validity, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis.

Main Results:

• Final instruments comprised 7 items for KMPHD, 5 for AMPUD, and 7 for PMPUD.
• High reliability was achieved: Cronbach's alpha for KMPHD (0.881), AMPUD (0.954), and PMPUD (0.920).
• All items demonstrated moderate-to-high regression coefficients, and instruments showed good model fits.

Conclusions:

• Validated KAP-modeled survey instruments are now available for assessing mobile phone use while driving.
• These instruments can serve as a baseline for evaluating the focus and effectiveness of distracted driving interventions.
• The study contributes reliable tools for public health initiatives aimed at reducing mobile phone-related driving risks.