ERIC Number: EJ893025
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0744-8481
EISSN: N/A
The Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale: Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Helmet Use among Undergraduates
Ross, Thomas P.; Ross, Lisa Thomson; Rahman, Annalise; Cataldo, Shayla
Journal of American College Health, v59 n1 p29-36 Jul-Aug 2010
Objective: This study examined bicycle helmet attitudes and practices of college undergraduates and developed the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale, which was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974, in Becker MH, ed. "The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior". Thorofare, NJ: Charles B. Slack; 1974:328-335) to predict reported helmet use. Participants: Students (N = 337) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey between November 2006 and November 2007. Methods: Participants completed a comprehensive survey on attitudes and behaviors relevant to bicycle helmet use. Results: The resulting Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale contains 57 items and represents 10 reliable subscales that reflect the HBM. Only 12% of students were self-reported helmet users. Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale scores captured 52% of the variance associated with helmet use; each subscale differentiated wearers from nonwearers. Men reported more media influences than did women. Conclusions: The utility of the HBM to predicted bicycle helmet use was supported. Implications for promoting cycling safety are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Student Behavior, Health Behavior, Hygiene, Measures (Individuals), College Students, Safety Equipment, Student Attitudes, Surveys, Gender Differences, Mass Media Role, Health Promotion, Traffic Safety
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A