Rural adolescent attitudes and use of bicycle helmets in Iowa
Brooke L. Askelsen, Brianna J. Iverson, Devin E. Spolsdoff, Pam J. Hoogerwerf, Brenda Vergara, Charles A. Jennissen

TL;DR
This study examines rural Iowa adolescents' bicycle helmet use and attitudes, finding low usage and highlighting the impact of parental rules on helmet importance and compliance.
Contribution
The study provides new insights into rural adolescent bicycle helmet use and the influence of parental rules on helmet attitudes and behavior.
Findings
Only 15% of rural Iowa adolescents support laws requiring bicycle helmet use.
Participants with a strict 'no helmet, no riding' rule had 32 times higher odds of wearing a helmet regularly.
Youth from farms reported lower helmet importance and less frequent bicycle riding compared to peers.
Abstract
Helmet use significantly decreases head injuries, the most common cause of bicycle-related fatalities in youth. Our objective was to determine bicycle helmet use by rural adolescents, their attitudes regarding helmets, and associated demographic factors. A convenience sample of 2022 Iowa FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) Leadership Conference attendees completed an anonymous electronic or paper survey. After compilation in Qualtrics, descriptive, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using statistical program, R. 1,331 adolescents 13–18 years participated. Almost three-fifths (58%) were female; 56% were 16–18 years. One-half lived on a farm, 21% lived in the country/not on a farm and 28% lived in town. 90% of subject households had at least one bicycle. Overall, 78% had ridden a bicycle in the past year. Those from farms had lower proportions…
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Taxonomy
TopicsInjury Epidemiology and Prevention · Traffic and Road Safety · Agriculture and Farm Safety
