The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #53222

Karen Liller, PhD¹, Jodi Nearns¹, Maria Cabrera¹, Brenda M. Joly, PhD², Virginia J. Noland, PhD, MPH³, and Robert J. McDermott, PhD¹. (1) Community and Family Health, University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, 813-974-6685, kliller@hsc.usf.edu, (2) Maine Center for Public Health, 12 Church Street, Augusta, ME 04330, (3) Department of Health Science Education, University of Florida, 5 FLG, P.O. Box 118210, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if children's bicycle injuries have decreased in Hillsborough County, Florida since the 1997 passage of Florida's bicycle helmet law. Complementary research by the authors has shown that children's helmet use in the county has significantly increased since enactment of the legislation.

Methods: Data pertaining to age specific rates of bicycle-related injuries involving a motor vehicle in the prelaw (1993-1996) and postlaw (1997-2000) years were obtained from the Florida Department of Transportation (crash reports) and other state agencies. Trend tests were used to determine the association of the law with a reduction in injury rate, adjusting for clustering effects. A logistic model that was piece-wise linear with a common slope but also with a distinct intercept for the period 1997-2000 postlaw period was used. This allowed for measuring changes in injury incidence not explained by natural occurrences.

Results: The average rate of bicycle-related injuries among Hillsborough County children was approximately 1.5 times greater during the prelaw years than during the postlaw years (69.65 vs. 45.43, respectively). Trend tests revealed a significant decrease in injury incidence during the postlaw period (p<.014). Tests based on quasi-likelihood methods yielded the deviance residual and gave a p value of less than .00001, further illustrating the significance of the law.

Conclusions: It appears that the helmet law has made an important contribution to decreasing bicycle-related injuries among children in Hillsborough County, Florida. Measures should be taken now to sustain increases in children's bicycle helmet use.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able:
• 1. Discuss the importance of bicycle helmet legislation in decreasing children's bicycle injuries.
• 2. Describe the study's overall research design and data analyses procedures.
• 3. Determine the relevance of the findings in supporting bicycle helmet use among children and adults.
• 4. Articulate ways to improve data collection and analyses to determine the efficacy of bicycle helmet legislation.

Keywords: Bike Helmets, Injury

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.