@article{ref1,
title="A hospital led promotion campaign aimed to increase bicycle helmet wearing among children aged 11-15 living in West Berkshire 1992-98",
journal="Injury prevention",
year="2000",
author="Lee, A. J. and Mann, N. P. and Takriti, Rachel",
volume="6",
number="2",
pages="151-153",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a bicycle helmet promotion campaign on helmet wearing among cyclists less than 16 years of age from 1992-98. SETTING: Reading, West Berkshire, UK. METHODS: A hospital led bicycle helmet promotion campaign targeted at 5-15 year olds. The campaign focused on education with active involvement of the children, parents, schools, and safety organisations. Local media and children's celebrities raised the profile of the campaign and a low cost helmet purchase scheme was also set up. A self administered questionnaire survey of 3,000, 11-15 year olds was carried out over the period of the campaign. A control group of 3,000 teenagers was obtained from a neighbouring area without a helmet campaign. Accident and emergency (A&E) figures were obtained from the local hospital within the campaign area on all children aged under 16 years, attending with bicycle injuries. Unfortunately, no figures were available from the A&E department in the control area. RESULTS: Self reported helmet use among 11-15 years olds living in the campaign area increased from 11% at the start of the campaign to 31% after five years (p<0.001), with no change in the control group. Hospital casualty figures in the campaign area for cycle related head injuries in the under 16 years age group, fell from 112.5/100,000 to 60.8/100,000 (from 21.6% of all cycle injuries to 11.7%; p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This hospital led community bicycle helmet promotion campaign directed at young people showed an increase in the number of children reporting that they &quot;always&quot; wore their helmet while cycling. There was a significantly higher rate of helmet wearing than in the control area, and a significant reduction in head injuries.",
language="en",
issn="1353-8047",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}