Relationship between religion and school students' road behavior in southern Iran.
OBJECTIVE
Unsafe behaviors are an important cause of accidents in adolescent age groups. This study was designed to examine the behaviors of adolescent pedestrians in southern Iran.


METHODS
This is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of high school students in Shiraz, capital city of Fars Province, Iran. Five hundred and sixteen students were selected by multi-stage sampling. Data were collected by the use of three questionnaires, which included Persian copies of adolescent road user behavior questionnaire (ARBQ), Duke University Religious Index (DUREL), as well as the context and independent variables questionnaire.


RESULTS
The results showed that a decrease in dangerous behaviors on the road resulted in an increase in respondents' intrinsic religiosity. Also, engagement in unsafe crossing behavior in the road decreased with increasing respondents' intrinsic religiosity. Another finding showed that female students were less involved in dangerous play and planned protective behaviors on the road.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings clearly indicate that intrinsic religiosity has a significant role in reducing the risky road behaviors of students. Hence, religion may improve road safety in school students' road behavior in Iran.
Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Reza
R
Tabrizi
Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Maryam
M
Akbari
Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Kamran B
KB
Lankarani
Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: heydari.st@gmail.com.
Seyed Taghi
ST
Heydari
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Alireza
A
Masoudi
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Amir Hossein
AH
Shams
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Armin
A
Akbarzadeh
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Saba
S
Moalemi
Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Maryam Mahmoodi
MM
Mehr
Department of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
Ahmad Kalateh
AK
Sadati
Health Policy Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Payam
P
Peymani
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D012067:Religion; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Religion; Road behaviors; Students; Traffic accidents