Recorded presentation

Karen Liller, PhD¹, Lindsay Taliaferro², Chemwapuwa Jackson¹, and Jodi Nearns³. (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) Community and Family Health, USF College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, (3) College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs, Blvd., MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612

Purpose: Since 1993 bicycle helmet observations of children, ages 5-13, have been conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. For the year 2003 observations, 2000 census data were used for the first time and this was the first year observations of children’s helmet use on scooters were conducted and reported.

Methods: Census tracts were divided into two ordinal lists stratified by income and the number of children living in the tract. Each of these lists was then divided into deciles of approximately 25 tracts each. Three tracts were randomly selected from each decile. For each of these tracts at least two observation sites were used.

Results: The data showed that 32 children rode scooters. Fifteen of these children (46.9%) wore helmets. The majority of scooter riders was white (N=28; 87.5%), male (N=20; 62.5%), and rode with other children vs. alone (N=20; 62.5%). When scooter riders were combined with bicycle riders (N=588), chi-square analyses showed that children were more likely to use helmets if they were white (p<.0001), rode in the higher income tracts (p<.0001) and rode with helmeted companions (p<.0001).

Conclusions: The results of this study are promising in that nearly half of the children observed riding scooters wore helmets. Observations will continue in the upcoming year and strategies to observe additional children riding scooters will be developed. Health promotion efforts focused on helmet use need to be better directed towards lower-income and minority children and families and peer role modeling needs to be reinforced.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the methodology used to conduct observations of children’s scooter helmet use in Hillsborough County, FL.
• Discuss the results of the children’s scooter helmet use in 2003.
• Analyze the findings in terms of further health promotion efforts regarding children’s helmet use.

Keywords: Injury Prevention, Child Health Promotion

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.

Recorded presentation