Impact of a theory based intervention to increase bicycle helmet use in low income children.
OBJECTIVE
While community interventions to increase bicycle helmet use have increased markedly, few of these studies are theoretically based. The purpose of this study was to determine relationships among PRECEDE model predictors and self reported helmet use among 407 fourth graders from nine low income, non-urban schools.


METHODS
Low income schools, with high minority populations in eight nonmetropolitan Central Texas counties were chosen.


METHODS
Schools were randomly assigned in a repeated measures design to either classroom only, parent-child, or control groups. School nurses were educated by the researchers to present a head injury prevention program in all but the experimental schools. Researchers made contact by phone with the parents of children in the parent-child group.


CONCLUSIONS
Participation in either of the educational interventions, followed by belief that helmets protect your head (a predisposing factor), and participation in the parent intervention condition, added significant unique variance to the prediction of helmet use after helmet ownership is accounted. These four variables, taken together, account for 72% of the variance in predicting bicycle helmet use.
University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing 78701, USA.
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Hendrickson
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Becker
D000056:Accident Prevention; D001642:Bicycling / Q000193:education* / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000517:prevention & control; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D013781:Texas