Journal article
Parental attitudes and family helmet use for all-terrain vehicles and bicycles
Injury epidemiology, Vol.7(S1), pp.23-23
01/01/2020
DOI: 10.1186/s40621-020-00253-2
PMCID: PMC7291627
PMID: 32532340
Abstract
BackgroundHelmets prevent head trauma in both all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and bicycle crashes. This pilot study's objective was to compare family helmet use and participant attitudes regarding helmets for ATVs versus bicycles.MethodsA convenience sampling of adults attending a 2017 university-sponsored health fair who had at least one child <18years living at home were surveyed. Demographics, frequency of helmet use, and information about factors influencing helmet use were collected. Descriptive (frequencies) and bivariate (Fisher's exact test) analyses were performed. Qualitative themes of written responses were also examined.ResultsSubjects (N=98) were 26-57years old (mean 40years). Three-quarters (76%) were female. The percentage always wearing a helmet riding bicycles was 63% (subjects), 58% (spouses/partners), and 51% (children), compared to 11, 14 and 37% on ATVs, respectively. Moreover, the percentage never wearing a helmet while on an ATV was 68% for subjects, 71% for spouses, and 47% for children. Despite helmet use differences between bicycles and ATVs, the importance of children wearing a helmet on these vehicles was rated highly and equally important, 9.28 and 9.58 on a 1-10 scale, respectively. Higher proportions of subjects' oldest children wore a bike helmet 100% of the time if at least one parent always wore a helmet (81%), compared to children whose parents both wore helmets <100% of the time or didn't ride (21%) (p<0.0001). The proportion of children wearing ATV and bicycle helmets less than 100% of the time was significantly higher if parents reported barriers to effectively enforcing helmet use than if they did not (p=0.04 and p=0.004, respectively). Many reported a "strict no helmet, no bike/ATV riding rule" as being most effective in getting their children to always wear a helmet.ConclusionsThis study is the first to explore family helmet use while riding bicycles vs ATVs. Although parent's belief in the importance of helmet use was high for both, helmet use was greater when riding bicycles. Further research is needed to better understand the social and environmental influences that shape parental helmet attitudes and practices in order to improve safety interventions for increasing pediatric helmet use.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Parental attitudes and family helmet use for all-terrain vehicles and bicycles
- Creators
- Cole Wymore - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineGerene Denning - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicinePamela Hoogerwerf - University of IowaKristel Wetjen - University of IowaCharles Jennissen - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Injury epidemiology, Vol.7(S1), pp.23-23
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40621-020-00253-2
- PMID
- 32532340
- PMCID
- PMC7291627
- NLM abbreviation
- Inj Epidemiol
- ISSN
- 2197-1714
- eISSN
- 2197-1714
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- Injury Free Coalition for KidsTM Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Iowa Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Emergency Medicine; Injury Prevention Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9984296969302771
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