Citation

Provance AJ, Engelman GH, Carry PM. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2012; 22(3): 240-243.

Affiliation

Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado, Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0b013e3182410335

PMID

22270869

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to assess the influencing factors in participants who do not use a helmet while skiing or snowboarding in the youth population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: The 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 ski seasons at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort. PARTICIPANTS: Children and adolescents between the ages of 6 to 17 years and their parents were enrolled in the study. Two hundred six children/adolescents participated. INTERVENTIONS: None. Independent variables include age, gender, parental helmet use, ski/snowboard helmet past protection, and child/adolescent reason for wearing/not wearing helmet. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: None. Dependent variables include child/adolescent helmet use. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent were male and 49% were female. One hundred seventy-one (83%) reported that they wear a ski/snowboard helmet, and 35 (17%) reported that they did not wear a ski/snowboard helmet. There was a significant relationship between parental helmet use and child helmet use (P ≤ 0.0001). Of the 171 children/adolescents who reported wearing a helmet, 124 (72.5%) reported that wearing a helmet protected them in an accident. Of the 171 children/adolescents who reported wearing a helmet, 87.7% said that safety was the reason for wearing a helmet. The most common reason for not wearing a ski/snowboard helmet was comfort. CONCLUSIONS: Parent's helmet-wearing behavior was strongly associated with the child/adolescent's helmet-wearing behavior. The results demonstrate the overwhelming influence parental helmet use has on their child/adolescent's decision to wear a helmet.

Language: en