Using social marketing to increase the use of helmets among bicyclists.
In this study, the authors investigated a social marketing intervention to increase the use of bicycle helmets on a university campus in the southeastern United States. Focus groups of students developed a bicycle helmet program slogan and logo (ie, "The Grateful Head"). The authors trained student bicyclists who already used helmets (n=15) as peer agents. These agents provided bicycle helmet information and asked fellow bicyclists to sign a pledge card to wear a helmet. They gave a coupon for a free helmet to those who pledged to wear a helmet. The authors received a total of 379 pledge cards and distributed 259 helmets. Bicycle helmet use rose from a baseline mean of 27.6% to a mean of 49.3% by the last week of the intervention.
Ludwig
Timothy D
TD
Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA. ludwigtd@appstate.edu
Buchholz
Chris
C
Clarke
Steven W
SW
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods; D001642:Bicycling; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D010379:Peer Group; D014495:Universities