Bicycle and helmet use of adolescents in Markham, Canada
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Michael Borean
Abstract
Bicycle crashes are the second most common sports- or recreation-associated cause of serious injury. While the literature suggests that wearing protective helmets can significantly decrease risks associated with bicycle-related injuries, overall helmet use remains sub-optimal. A recent study by Chow et al. suggested that helmet-wearing rates in adolescent boys are negatively correlated with age. The aim of this study was to determine if similar trends are observed in a co-educational high school setting. A questionnaire was circulated at Unionville High School, a co-ed public high school in Markham, Canada. Of the 144 participants, 27 of them were in Grade 9 or 10, and 117 of them were in Grade 11 or 12. While there was no statistical difference between helmet-wearing rates in Grade 9–10 and Grade 11–12 students, overall usage rates were low (41% and 38%, respectively, for recreational cyclists). This trend is interesting, considering that nearly 90% of all students were aware that wearing a helmet while cycling is required under Ontario law. Further studies should be conducted among the young adult population to determine whether the alarming trends discovered by this study and Chow et al. continue.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all of those who participated in the questionnaire.
References
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- Editorial
- Adverse effects of stimulant medications in children and adolescents: focus on sleep and growth disturbances
- The relationship between anxiety, depression and risk behaviors in adolescents
- Bullying, its effects on attitude towards class attendance and the contribution of physical and dentofacial features among adolescents in Northern Nigeria
- Psychometric analysis of Epworth Sleepiness Scale and its correlation with Pittsburgh sleep quality index in poor sleepers among Indian university students
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- Sexual behavior and pregnancy among adolescents in foster family homes
- Sad and lonely: body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls
- Distracted driving on YouTube: implications for adolescents
- Factors affecting utilization of youth friendly health services in Lagos State, Nigeria
- Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern and overweight and obesity among female adolescents in Iran
- Associations among daytime sleepiness, depression and suicidal ideation in Korean adolescents
- Influencing factors on high-risk sexual behaviors in young people: an ecological perspective
- Improving adolescent access and services in a large primary care network: report of a 10 year project
- Is age of menarche among school girls related to academic performance?
- Bicycle and helmet use of adolescents in Markham, Canada
