TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience
JO  - Annals of family medicine
A1  - Jennissen, Charles A.
A1  - Harland, Karisa K.
A1  - Wetjen, Kristel
A1  - Peck, Jeffrey
A1  - Hoogerwerf, Pam
A1  - Denning, Gerene M.
SP  - 310
EP  - 316
VL  - 12
IS  - 4
N2  - PURPOSE: More youth are killed every year in the United States in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes than on bicycles, and since 2001, one-fifth of all ATV fatalities have involved victims aged 15 years or younger. Effectively preventing pediatric ATV-related deaths and injuries requires knowledge about youth riding practices. Our objective was to examine ATV use, crash prevalence, and riding behaviors among adolescent students in a rural state. <br><br>METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional survey to 4,684 youths aged 11 to 16 years at 30 schools across Iowa from November 2010 to April 2013. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. <br><br>RESULTS: Regardless of rurality, at least 75% of students reported having been on an ATV, with 38% of those riding daily or weekly. Among ATV riders, 57% had been in a crash. Most riders engaged in risky behaviors, including riding with passengers (92%), on public roads (81%), or without a helmet (64%). Almost 60% reported engaging in all 3 behaviors; only 2% engaged in none. Multivariable modeling revealed male youth, students riding daily/weekly, and those reporting both riding on public roads and with passengers were 1.61 (95% CI, 1.36-1.91), 3.73 (95% CI, 3.10-4.50), and 3.24 (95% CI, 2.09-5.04) times more likely to report a crash, respectively. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Three-fourths of youths surveyed were exposed to ATVs. The majority of riders had engaged in unsafe behaviors and experienced a crash. Given this widespread use and the potentially considerable morbidity of pediatric ATV crashes, prevention efforts, including anticipatory guidance by primary care clinicians serving families at risk, should be a higher priority.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1544-1709
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1370/afm.1663
ID  - ref1
ER  -