Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Inj Prev. 2010 Jun;16(3):178-84. doi: 10.1136/ip.2009.023994. Epub 2010 Apr 26.
Incorrect bicycle helmet use increases head injury risk.
To evaluate the patterns of incorrect helmet use based on unobtrusive field observations.
Two observational surveys conducted in Alberta in 2000 and 2006 captured information on cyclist characteristics, including correct helmet use. Prevalence of correct helmet use was compared across multiple factors: age, gender, riding companionship, and environmental factors such as riding location, neighbourhood median family income, and region. Poisson regression analysis was used to relate predictor variables to the prevalence of incorrect helmet use, adjusting for clustering by site of observation.
Among helmeted cyclists (n=5862), 15.3% were wearing their helmet incorrectly or were using a non-bicycle helmet. Children (53%) and adults (51%) tended to wear their helmet too far back, while adolescents tended not have their straps fastened (48%). Incorrect helmet use declined approximately 50% over the study period for children and adolescents, but 76% (95% CI 68% to 82%) in adults. Children were 1.8 times more likely to use their helmets incorrectly in 2000 compared with adults, but this effect increased to 3.9 (95% CI 2.9 to 5.4) in 2006. Adolescents were more likely to use their helmets incorrectly in 2006 compared with adults (prevalence ratio 2.76; 95% CI 1.9 to 4.02). Children and adolescents cycling alone, compared with adults cycling alone, cycling at non-school sites and cycling in Edmonton, was associated with incorrect helmet use.
Important factors not previously identified were associated with incorrect bicycle helmet use. This information can be used to target interventions to increase correct use.
不正确佩戴自行车头盔会增加头部受伤的风险。
通过非干扰性实地观察评估不正确头盔使用模式。
2000 年和 2006 年在艾伯塔省进行的两项观察性调查，收集了包括正确使用头盔在内的自行车骑手特征信息。在多个因素（年龄、性别、骑行同伴和骑行地点、社区家庭平均收入中位数、地区等环境因素）下，比较正确头盔使用率。使用泊松回归分析，根据观察点的聚类情况，将预测变量与不正确头盔使用的流行率联系起来。
在戴头盔的自行车骑手（n=5862）中，15.3%的人头盔佩戴不正确或使用非自行车头盔。儿童（53%）和成年人（51%）倾向于将头盔戴得太靠后，而青少年则倾向于不系紧安全带（48%）。在研究期间，儿童和青少年的不正确头盔使用减少了约 50%，而成年人则减少了 76%（95%CI 68%至 82%）。与成年人相比，2000 年儿童使用头盔不正确的可能性高 1.8 倍，但 2006 年这一效应增至 3.9（95%CI 2.9 至 5.4）。与成年人相比，2006 年青少年更有可能不正确地使用头盔（流行率比 2.76；95%CI 1.9 至 4.02）。与成年人相比，独自骑行的儿童和青少年、在非学校地点骑行以及在埃德蒙顿骑行的儿童和青少年更有可能不正确地使用头盔。
以前未确定的重要因素与不正确的自行车头盔使用有关。这些信息可用于针对干预措施，以提高正确使用率。
