PERCEIVED BARRIER, RISK PERCEPTION, AND SOCIAL NORM ATTITUDES ABOUT WEARING HELMETS AMONG COLLEGE-STUDENTS

This study assessed perceived barrier, risk perception, and social nor m attitudes about bicycle helmets among a sample of 390 college studen ts and determined the extent to which these attitudes related to frequ ency of bicycle-helmet use. The extent to which students reported wear ing a helmet was a habit was also determined. Using frequent, infreque nt, and nonusers of helmets as classification variables, stepwise disc riminant analysis of attitudinal and habit variables revealed signific ant discriminant functions for males and females combined, females alo ne, and males alone. The specific variables that discriminated frequen t, infrequent, and nonusers of helmets are insightful because they pro vide direction and focus for planning health-promotion programs that f ocus on increasing helmet use among college students.