TY - JOUR PY - 1989// TI - Barriers to bicycle helmet use among children. results of focus groups with fourth, fifth, and sixth graders JO - American journal of diseases of children (1960) A1 - Howland, J. A1 - Sargent, James A1 - Weitzman, M. A1 - Mangione, T. A1 - Ebert, R. A1 - Mauceri, M. A1 - Bond, M. SP - 741 EP - 744 VL - 143 IS - 6 N2 - As a preliminary step in the development of a school-based educational intervention to promote bicycle helmet use among children, focus group encounters were conducted with fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at three elementary schools in the Boston, Mass, area. Analysis of transcripts of encounter tape recordings indicated that (1) the prevalence of helmet ownership and use was low, (2) children were concerned that helmet use would invite derision from their peers, and (3) children tended to respect other children who wore helmets. We concluded that focus groups can be useful in conceptualizing health education interventions and suggest that school-based peer-led bicycle helmet programs may be effective in developing normative change toward helmet use among elementary schoolchildren. LA - SN - 0002-922X UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -