The Seattle children's bicycle helmet campaign: changes in helmet use and head injury admissions

Pediatrics. 1994 Apr;93(4):567-9.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the impact of a community bicycle helmet campaign on helmet use and the incidence of bicycle-related head injuries.

Setting: Metropolitan community and a large health maintenance organization.

Interventions: Communitywide bicycle helmet campaign.

Outcomes: Rate of observed bicycle helmet use in the community and incidence of bicycle-related injuries in an health maintenance organization population.

Results: Helmet use among school-aged children increased from 5.5% in 1987 to 40.2% in 1992. Bicycle-related head injuries decreased by 66.6% in 5- to 9-year-old and 67.6% in 10- to 14-year-old members of an health maintenance organization.

Conclusions: Educational campaigns can increase helmet use and decrease the incidence of bicycle-related head injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bicycling / injuries*
  • Child
  • Child Behavior*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / epidemiology*
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / prevention & control
  • Female
  • Head Protective Devices / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Education*
  • Health Maintenance Organizations / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Patient Admission
  • Washington / epidemiology