Dannenberg A L, Gielen A C, Beilenson P L, Wilson M H, Joffe A
Injury Prevention Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Md.
Am J Public Health. 1993 May;83(5):667-74. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.5.667.
The passage of a mandatory bicycle helmet law for children in Howard County, Maryland, provided an opportunity to compare legislation and education as strategies to increase helmet use.
In 1991, a survey was mailed to fourth-, seventh-, and ninth-grade students attending a stratified sample of public schools in Howard County and in two similar suburban/rural counties without helmet laws.
Of 7217 students surveyed, 3494 responded (48.4%). Self-reported helmet use in Howard County rose from 11% to 37% after the law and accompanying educational campaign went into effect. Helmet use changed from 8% to 13% in Montgomery County, where educational efforts were undertaken, and from 7% to 11% in Baltimore County, where helmet promotion activities were minimal. Predictors of helmet use included having friends who wore helmets, believing helmet laws are good, being in fourth grade, living in Howard County, and using seatbelts regularly.
Legislation combined with education appears to increase bicycle helmet use substantially more than does education alone. The Howard County law may be considered a successful model of a strategy to increase children's helmet use.
马里兰州霍华德县通过了一项针对儿童的强制性自行车头盔法，这为比较立法和教育作为增加头盔使用策略提供了契机。
1991年，向霍华德县以及另外两个没有头盔法的类似郊区/农村县的公立学校分层抽样选取的四年级、七年级和九年级学生邮寄了一份调查问卷。
在7217名接受调查的学生中，3494人进行了回复（回复率为48.4%）。在法律及配套教育活动生效后，霍华德县自我报告的头盔使用率从11%升至37%。在开展了教育工作的蒙哥马利县，头盔使用率从8%变为13%；在头盔推广活动极少的巴尔的摩县，头盔使用率从7%变为11%。头盔使用的预测因素包括有戴头盔的朋友、认为头盔法有益处、就读四年级、居住在霍华德县以及经常使用安全带。
立法与教育相结合似乎比单纯的教育更能大幅提高自行车头盔的使用率。霍华德县的法律可被视为增加儿童头盔使用策略的成功典范。
