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Abstract
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BACKGROUND All-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes are common in agricultural communities, but few studies have reported on who is being exposed and may be at greatest injury risk. This study was performed to determine the epidemiology of ATV exposure and crashes in a rural county.
METHODS Data was analysed from the Keokuk County Rural Health study which is a prospective population-based, longitudinal study of residents in Keokuk County, Iowa. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed on 2006 Round 3 survey data which included ATV-related questions.
RESULTS Of 1,123 respondents, 38% reported having ridden an ATV in the previous year. Respondents who were male, younger, currently working on a farm, had higher income, or owned/rented more acres had a greater likelihood of recent ATV exposure. Adults with children in the home were more likely to have ridden an ATV in the past year than those with none (53% vs. 28%, p < 0.0001). ATV exposure also varied by place of residence, with 57% of those living on a farm being exposed vs. 20% of those living in town (p < 0.0001). Respondents who were working on farms had the highest exposure rates (75%). Those 12-19 years of age, with taxable household income <$60,000, and adults who had never been married were each significantly more likely to have experienced an "ATV wreck" in the previous year. Of adults, 92% never wore a helmet when riding an ATV with "don't own a helmet" the most common reason (43%). Ten percent reported having been injured on an ATV in the past with more than one-half requiring medical attention. Previous safety training was reported by only 14% of adults having had ATV exposure in the past year.
CONCLUSIONS Study respondents had a high exposure to ATVs, particularly young people and those who lived or worked on farms. Safety training efforts should be focused on demographic groups identified with higher exposure and greater likelihood of ATV crash, including agricultural workers and their families.
Abstract from Safety 2016 World Conference, 18-21 September 2016; Tampere, Finland.
Copyright © 2016 The author(s), Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions
Language: en |