In order to monitor the success of Florida's bicycle helmet law (passed in 1997 and applicable to individuals under the age of 16) and pre- and post-law helmet education campaigns, observational surveys of children's helmet use in Hillsborough County, Florida were conducted in 1993 and then yearly from 1995 to present. Hillsborough County is the fourth largest county in Florida and has higher bicycle injury and death rates than the state. Using a formal sampling scheme, observational surveys of children (ages 5-13) show that bicycle helmet use significantly increased from a low of 3.6% in 1993 to 50.1% in 2000 (p<.0005). However, the data continually show racial and economic disparities. For each observation year, helmet use has been consistently higher in children who were white and rode bicycles in the higher-level income tracts. In addition, helmet use overall appears to be on the decline, significantly decreasing from its highest rate of 67% in 1998 (approximately one year after passage of the law) to 55.9% in 1999 (p=.001) and then to 50.1% in 2000. It appears that the bicycle helmet message supported through education and distribution of free and reduced-priced helmets has not successfully reached minority and the lower income populations in this county. Booster sessions in schools and in the community that employ social marketing and participatory planning are being developed to meet the needs of more diverse populations.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the results of children's bicycle helmet observational surveys conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida from 1993-2000. 2. Discuss the racial and economic disparities represented in the data. 3. Describe ways to descrease disparities through education and participatory research.
Keywords: Bike Helmets, Surveillance
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