Bicycle and helmet use factors in an adolescent population in Winnipeg

Abstract

More than 100 Canadians, half of them children under the age of 15, die every year because of bicycle injuries. Head injuries cause 75% of these deaths. Research has shown that bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85 percent. Although the use of bicycle helmets has been increased by promotional interventions, the level of helmet use remains low among adolescents, varying from seven to 17 percent. The purpose of this study was to describe bicycle and helmet use in an adolescent population in Winnipeg and to assess the factors related to helmet use. The proportion of adolescents in Winnipeg exposed to the risks associated with bicycle riding was determined partially by a direct observation study of cyclists commuting to school and from an analysis of data from a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)