A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience

Charles A Jennissen; Karisa K Harland; Kristel Wetjen; Jeffrey Peck; Pam Hoogerwerf; Gerene M Denning

doi:10.1370/afm.1663

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A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience

Charles A Jennissen, Karisa K Harland, Kristel Wetjen, Jeffrey Peck, Pam Hoogerwerf and Gerene M Denning

Annals of family medicine, Vol.12(4), pp.310-316

07/2014

DOI: 10.1370/afm.1663

PMCID: PMC4096467

PMID: 25024238

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Abstract

More youth are killed every year in the United States in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes than on bicycles, and since 2001, one-fifth of all ATV fatalities have involved victims aged 15 years or younger. Effectively preventing pediatric ATV-related deaths and injuries requires knowledge about youth riding practices. Our objective was to examine ATV use, crash prevalence, and riding behaviors among adolescent students in a rural state. We administered a cross-sectional survey to 4,684 youths aged 11 to 16 years at 30 schools across Iowa from November 2010 to April 2013. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. Regardless of rurality, at least 75% of students reported having been on an ATV, with 38% of those riding daily or weekly. Among ATV riders, 57% had been in a crash. Most riders engaged in risky behaviors, including riding with passengers (92%), on public roads (81%), or without a helmet (64%). Almost 60% reported engaging in all 3 behaviors; only 2% engaged in none. Multivariable modeling revealed male youth, students riding daily/weekly, and those reporting both riding on public roads and with passengers were 1.61 (95% CI, 1.36-1.91), 3.73 (95% CI, 3.10-4.50), and 3.24 (95% CI, 2.09-5.04) times more likely to report a crash, respectively. Three-fourths of youths surveyed were exposed to ATVs. The majority of riders had engaged in unsafe behaviors and experienced a crash. Given this widespread use and the potentially considerable morbidity of pediatric ATV crashes, prevention efforts, including anticipatory guidance by primary care clinicians serving families at risk, should be a higher priority.

Accidents - statistics & numerical data

Adolescent

Child

Cross-Sectional Studies

Dangerous Behavior

Data Collection

Female

Head Protective Devices - utilization

Humans

Iowa - epidemiology

Male

Off-Road Motor Vehicles - statistics & numerical data

Risk-Taking

Rural Population - statistics & numerical data

Safety - statistics & numerical data

Schools

Details

Title: Subtitle: A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience
Creators: Charles A Jennissen - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Karisa K Harland - University of Iowa
Kristel Wetjen - University of Iowa
Jeffrey Peck - United States Army Corps of Engineers
Pam Hoogerwerf - University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
Gerene M Denning - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Annals of family medicine, Vol.12(4), pp.310-316
DOI: 10.1370/afm.1663
PMID: 25024238
PMCID: PMC4096467
NLM abbreviation: Ann Fam Med
ISSN: 1544-1709
eISSN: 1544-1717
Language: English
Date published: 07/2014
Academic Unit: Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Epidemiology; Emergency Medicine; Injury Prevention Research Center; Law Faculty
Record Identifier: 9984296986802771

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42 Times Cited - Web of Science