The effect of bicycling helmets in preventing significant bicycle-related injuries in children.
OBJECTIVE
To identify bicycle-related injuries in children and the effect of helmet use on injury patterns and prevention.


METHODS
A prospective cohort of injured children with case-control design looking at serious head injuries and helmet use.


METHODS
A tertiary care childrens' hospital emergency room.


METHODS
All patients presenting between April 1, 1991 and September 30, 1993, between the ages of 3 and 16 years, with bicycle-related injuries were included.


METHODS
The Childrens' Hospital Injury Research and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) Database was used. Standardized information collected on each child included age and sex of the child; nature, location, and time of accident/injury; whether any safety devices were being used at the time of the accident; and the attending physician's determination of the injury(s) and treatment rendered.


METHODS
Injuries were categorized as major or minor, based upon a consensus of the authors, in a retrospective fashion.


RESULTS
Separate bicycle accidents (n = 699) were recorded resulting in 856 injuries. Only 13.7% of the children were wearing helmets at the time of their accidents. Seventy-six serious head injuries were recorded. The risk of serious head injury was significantly greater when a helmet was not worn (chi 2 0.01 < p < 0.05) This represents an odds ratio of 3.12 [confidence interval (CI) = 95% 1.13-8.75]. There was no significant difference in terms of serious injuries overall comparing helmeted and nonhelmeted children (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.72-1.72).


CONCLUSIONS
Helmets afford a protective effect with respect to serious head injuries.
Finvers
K A
KA
Sport Medicine Centre, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Strother
R T
RT
Mohtadi
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors