Prevalence of Bicycle Helmet Use among Elementary School Students in Four Canadian Cities

This study describes how bicycle-related injuries are an important cause of hospitalization among Canadian children. There is variation in the nature and enforcement of bicycle helmet laws in Canada. The Canadian Injury Indicators Development Team was established to define and evaluate key indicators, including helmet use and bicycle helmet laws. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of helmet use in elementary school aged children in four Canadian cities representing varied geographic and socioeconomic settings. Observations were made at schools in Halifax, Toronto, Barrie and Vancouver. Schools were identified using school board websites and DMTI, a company that partners with universities to disseminate spatial data. Schools were classified into quintiles based on the after-tax income of their census tract (2006 census). Trained observers attended each site at the beginning of the school day in May/June 2009. Information on the sex, helmet use, correct helmet use and group riding were documented. The study showed how 397 observations were made at 91 schools. The helmet use rate was 83% across the four cities and 68% of those riding bicycles were males and 47% of children rode in a group. The study showed how group influence on helmet use varied by province and the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on helmet use also varied. Vancouver’s poorest neighborhoods had the most riders (42%), where Toronto had the most riders in the richest neighborhoods (39%). There is variation in helmet use across Canadian cities generally, especially by SES. Helmet use rates were higher in the medium sized city (Barrie) compared to the other, larger cities.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13538047
• Authors:
  • Middaugh-Bonney, T
  • Pike, I
  • Brussoni, M
  • Piedt, S
  • Macpherson, A
• Conference:
  • Safety 2010. 10th World Conference
  • Location: London , United Kingdom
  • Date: 2010-9-21 to 2010-9-24
• Publication Date: 2010-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: v.p.
• Monograph Title: Safety 2010 World Conference
• Serial:
  • Injury Prevention
  • Volume: 16
  • Issue Number: Supplement 1
  • Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
  • ISSN: 1353-8047
  • EISSN: 1475-5785
  • Serial URL: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle crashes; Bicycle helmets; Bicycle travel; Cyclists; Helmet use; School children
• Uncontrolled Terms: Socioeconomics factors
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01324033
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 2010 3:00PM