Citation

Levy AS, Hawkes AP, Rossie GV. Health Promot. Pract. 2007; 8(3): 257-265.

Affiliation

InterMountain Neurosurgery and Neuroscience.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Society for Public Health Education, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1524839906292178

PMID

17495063

Abstract

The authors' Level I trauma center has advocated the use of ski helmets for several years and in 1998, undertook a social-marketing campaign and a helmet loaner program to increase helmet use among skiers and snowboarders. The loaner program's effect on helmet acceptance was measured by comparing helmet acceptance in participating rental stores with acceptance in nonparticipating stores during 3 years. For the 19981999 season, 13.8% of renters in the participating stores accepted a helmet compared to 1.38% in the nonparticipating stores (p < .01); for 2000-2001, 33.5% to 3.93% (p < .01); and for 2001-2002, 30.3% to 4.48% (p < .01). The authors believe that efforts to increase helmet use--by increasing education and public awareness and decreasing barriers, such as through helmet loaner programs or routinely including helmets in rental packages--have significant potential to decrease the incidence and severity of brain injuries from skiing and/or snowboarding accidents in Colorado.

Language: en