title: Impact of age, location, and bicycle style on helmet usage by adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to describe current patterns of bicycle helmet usage in a university community using a direct observation approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cyclists in a university community observed in 2010 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 6 locations in Athens, Georgia, and recorded the type of bicycle, age group, sex, and helmet usage of passing cyclists. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis to identify independent predictors of helmet usage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed 433 cyclists: 74 percent male, 74 percent college age, and 45 percent of whom wore a helmet. Helmet usage varied by bicycle type, location of observation, and age group. Independent predictors of bike helmet were on-campus location (0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22-0.66), college-age rider (0.29, 95% CI: 0.15-0.54), and use of a city or leisure bike (0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.65).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  College-age riders, riders on campus, and those riding a city or leisure-style bike are less likely to wear a helmet. Health promotion efforts aimed at increasing helmet usage should target these groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, UGA Health Sciences Campus, Athens, GA 30602, USA. ebell@uga.edu
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ebell
authors.forename: Koosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult