Predictors of bicycle helmet usage among seniors

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2003

Publication Title

Journal of Community Health

Volume

28

Issue

3

First page number:

221

Last page number:

228

Abstract

This study identified predictors of bicycle helmet usage in a sample of seniors in Mesa, Arizona. Participants reported: days/week bicycling, usual duration, where biking occurred, helmet ownership, bicycle accidents, injuries, and age and gender. Descriptive, non-parametric statistics, and regression analysis were utilized. Seventy-four females and 123 males completed the survey. The mean age was 70.7(7.2) years. Respondents biked a mean of 4.9(2.3) days per week and averaged 40.5 (32.5) minutes of riding per day. Eighty-two participants (41.6%) owned bicycle helmets and 55 (27.9%) were observed wearing helmets. Eighty-seven (44.2%) participants biked outside their retirement community and 25 (12.7%) reported an accident within the past year. Chi-square (2, N = 197) = 0.66, p = .72) indicated no differences in of male or female helmet usage. Those who rode outside the retirement communities (χ2(2,197) = 22.6, p = .001) were more likely to wear helmets than counterparts. Logistic regression found age to be a predictor of bicycle helmet usage.

Keywords

Aged/psychology; Aged; 80 and over; Arizona; Bicycle; Bicycle helmets; Bicycles—Accidents; Bicycling/psychology; Bicycling/statistics & numerical data; Craniocerebral Trauma/prevention & control; Cycling; Cycling--Psychological aspects; Female; Frail elderly—Housing; Granny flats; Head--Wounds and injuries; Head--Wounds and injuries—Prevention; Head Protective Devices/utilization; Health Care Surveys; Health attitudes; Health Knowledge; Attitudes; Practice; Helmets; Housing for the Elderly; Humans; Male; Men; Medical care surveys; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Older people; Older people—Psychology; Regression analysis; Retirees; Retirement; Retirement communities; Seniors; Time Factors; Women; Wounds and injuries

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Community Health | Leisure Studies | Public Health

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

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