CURRENT BICYCLE HELMET OWNERSHIP, USE AND RELATED FACTORS AMONG SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN METROPOLITAN TORONTO

A random digit dialing telephone survey was conducted to examine bicyc le helmet ownership, use and related factors among 707 children in Met ropolitan Toronto. The ownership rate was 22% and use rate 12%. Althou gh ownership was similarly distributed by age and sex, helmet use vari ed considerably across age strata among boys; only about one fifth of teenaged boys who owned a helmet wore it regularly. Both parental educ ation and annual family income were significantly associated with owne rship and use. Past bicycle injuries, although increasing helmet owner ship, had no positive impact on use. The strength of a parental role m odel was reflected in the fact that when parents owned and used a helm et, 93% of their children had a helmet and more than 80% Of them alway s wore it. Since about half of parents are cyclists themselves, helmet promotion activities are likely to maximize their effect if they targ et both parents and children.