The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, 1319 Colony St., Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z1, Canada.
Accid Anal Prev. 2014 Sep;70:314-9. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2014.04.011. Epub 2014 May 14.
Previous research demonstrates the importance of parents in ensuring that their children practice proper helmet use. Parents encourage helmet use by setting an example when they wear helmets, as well as establishing rules that the children are expected to follow. Research in the area of helmet use predominantly focuses on bicycle helmets, but there are a number of childhood activities for which a helmet is required. The purpose of this research was to examine rural parents' attitudes toward helmet use and investigate when, and for what activities, they require their children to wear helmets. Rural parents were selected as there is evidence that helmet use is less frequent among children in rural settings. Expanding on the literature, an exploratory qualitative methodology was used to gather data. Eight focus groups were held in rural Saskatchewan to explore what influences parents' decisions to wear helmets themselves, and when and why they enforce helmet rules with their children. A thematic analysis was subsequently conducted on the data. The results suggest that parents recognize that their rules and their example influence their children. Participants mentioned being consistent, establishing rules and using positive reinforcement as ways to encourage helmet use among their children. Helmet costs and lack of awareness of helmet necessity in particular activities were barriers to helmet use. Specific barriers to helmet use in rural areas included the difficulty in finding proper helmets, the lack of exposure to helmet promotion initiatives, and the perception that activities in rural areas were safer than in the city. Parents tended to make their own helmet decisions based on personal experience and threat perception of the activity. This reasoning was the basis for when and why they established helmet rules. It is important to raise awareness of the risks of head injury and the benefits of wearing a helmet in other activities besides bicycling. More effort is needed to reach rural populations with information and opportunities to access appropriate and affordable helmets. Legislating mandatory helmet use could be useful in promoting helmet use in adults and children. Alternatively, the use of incentives for children wearing helmets could also serve as a reinforcement mechanism to increase use. A synthesis of the data gathered suggests that a theoretical approach based on increasing predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors for helmet use may be useful in future interventions.
先前的研究表明，父母在确保孩子正确使用头盔方面起着重要作用。父母可以通过自己戴头盔来树立榜样，并制定孩子必须遵守的规则，从而鼓励孩子使用头盔。有关头盔使用的研究主要集中在自行车头盔上，但也有一些儿童活动需要戴头盔。本研究的目的是检验农村家长对头盔使用的态度，并调查他们何时以及为何要求孩子戴头盔。选择农村家长作为研究对象是因为有证据表明，农村地区儿童使用头盔的频率较低。本研究扩展了文献资料，采用探索性定性方法收集数据。在萨斯喀彻温省农村地区举办了 8 个焦点小组，以探讨是什么因素影响家长自己戴头盔的决定，以及他们何时以及为何对孩子执行头盔规定。随后对数据进行了主题分析。研究结果表明，家长们认识到他们的规则和榜样会影响孩子。参与者提到保持一致性、制定规则和使用正强化是鼓励孩子使用头盔的方法。头盔成本和对特定活动中头盔必要性的认识不足是阻碍头盔使用的因素。农村地区使用头盔的具体障碍包括难以找到合适的头盔、缺乏头盔推广计划的接触以及认为农村地区的活动比城市更安全。家长们倾向于根据个人经验和对活动的威胁感知来做出自己的头盔决定。这就是他们制定头盔规定的依据和原因。提高人们对头部受伤风险和除骑自行车以外的其他活动戴头盔的好处的认识非常重要。需要付出更多努力，为农村人口提供有关信息和获得合适且负担得起的头盔的机会。对成年人和儿童实施强制性头盔使用法规可能有助于促进头盔使用。或者，对戴头盔的儿童使用激励措施也可以作为一种强化机制，增加使用量。对收集到的数据进行综合分析表明，基于增加头盔使用的倾向性、使能性和强化性因素的理论方法可能对未来的干预措施有用。
