title: Risk compensation: a male phenomenon? Results from a controlled intervention trial promoting helmet use among cyclists.
abstract: Prevention tools are challenged by risky behaviors that follow their adoption. Speed increase following helmet use adoption was analyzed among bicyclists enrolled in a controlled intervention trial. Speed and helmet use were assessed by video (2621 recordings, 587 participants). Speeds were similar among helmeted and nonhelmeted female cyclists (16.5 km/h and 16.1 km/h, respectively) but not among male cyclists (helmeted: 19.2 km/h, nonhelmeted: 16.8 km/h). Risk compensation, observed only among male cyclists, was moderate, thus unlikely to offset helmet preventive efficacy.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, Research Center U-897, Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Biostatistique, Injury Prevention and Control research team (Prévention et Prise en Charge des Traumatistmes), Bordeaux, France. antoine.messiah@isped.u-bordeaux2.fr
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Messiah
authors.forename: Aymery
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Constant
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Contrand
authors.forename: Marie-Line
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Felonneau
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lagarde
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006260:Head Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult