Bicycle helmet campaigns and head injuries among children. Does poverty matter?
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of a community based bicycle helmet programme aimed at children aged 5-12 years (about 140,000) from poor and well off municipalities.


METHODS
A quasi-experimental design, including a control group, was used. Changes in the risk of bicycle related head injuries leading to hospitalisation were measured, using rates ratios.


RESULTS
Reductions in bicycle related head injuries were registered in both categories of municipalities. Compared with the pre-programme period, the protective effect of the programme during the post-programme period was as significant among children from poor municipalities (RR= 0.45 95%CI 0.26 to 0.78) as among those from richer municipalities (RR=0.55 95%CI 0.41 to 0.75).


CONCLUSIONS
Population based educational programmes may have a favourable impact on injury risks in poor areas despite lower adoption of protective behaviours.
Farley
C
C
Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Canada.
Laflamme
L
L
Vaez
M
M
D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment