Independent factors associated with bicycle helmet use in a Korean population: A cross-sectional study

The frequency of bicycle helmet use among college students and health beliefs for bicycle helmet attitude

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of bicycle helmet use among college students and health beliefs about bicycle helmet attitude. Participants: Turkish university students (n = 799). Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted over the period 2019. A sociodemographic and cycling related questionnaire form and the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale were used in the data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Anova and Kruskal Wallis tests were used in the statistical analysis. Results: Only 10.4% of students wear a bicycle helmet. Students who using bicycle helmets had higher benefit health belief scores compared to those who didn't, while barrier health belief scores were lower. There is a significant relationship between health belief scores for bicycle helmet attitude and gender, obeying traffic rules, thinking about helmet (unnecessary/disturbing/expensive/ridiculous) and helmet use. Conclusion: In this study, the frequency of using bicycle helmets is very low.

Unsafe Bicycling Behavior in Changsha, China: A Video-Based Observational Study

The recent emergence of shared bikes has inspired renewed use of bicycles in urban China. However, incidence rates of unsafe cycling behaviors have not been reported using objective methods. We designed a video-based observational study in Changsha, China to estimate the incidence of five unsafe bicycling behaviors among both shared and personal bike riders and examine incidence differences across types of riders and cycling areas. A total of 112 h of video recorded 13,407 cyclists riding shared bikes and 2061 riding personal bikes. The incidences of not wearing a helmet, violating traffic lights, riding in the opposite direction of traffic, not holding the handlebar with both hands, and riding in a non-bicycle lane were 99.28%, 19.57%, 13.73%, 2.57%, and 64.06%, respectively. The incidence rate of all five kinds of behaviors differed significantly across four types of riding areas (shopping, university, office, and leisure) and the rates of the first three kinds of behaviors were statistically different between shared and personal bike riders. In situations where bicycle lanes were available, we observed the incidence of riding on the motorway and on the sidewalk to be 44.06% and 19.99%, respectively. We conclude that unsafe cycling behaviors occur with alarming frequency and differ somewhat between riders of shared versus personal bikes. Further research is recommended to interpret the occurrence of risky cycling and the incidence differences across types of riders and cycling areas.

Unsafe riding behaviors of shared-bicycle riders in urban China: A retrospective survey

Shared-bicycle use has skyrocketed in urban China, but little is known about the safety of bicycle users. The Chinese popular media reports multiple risky riding behaviors among shared bicycle riders, but scientific research on the topic is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective WeChat-based online survey to examine how often shared bicycle riders report engaging in risky cycling behaviors in urban China. Eight unsafe shared bicycle riding behaviors were assessed: not wearing helmets, running red lights, cycling against the traffic flow, riding in lanes designed for motor vehicles, riding in lanes designed for pedestrians, carrying passengers on bicycles, using cell phones while riding, and eating while riding. In total, 1960 valid questionnaires were collected. The proportion of participants who reported always or often having unsafe riding behavior in the past month, ranged from 1.1% for carrying passengers on the bicycles to 97.6% for failing to wear a helmet. Demographic characteristics were associated with unsafe behaviors through multivariate logistic regression, with male riders and riders aged 25 years or younger more likely to ride while using cell phones than females (AOR = 2.94) and those 36 years or older (AOR = 3.57). Cyclists with undergraduate education were more likely to wear helmets than those with postgraduate education or higher (AOR = 0.21). Compared to riders from central municipalities governed directly by the central government, riders from provincial capitals, deputy provincial cities, and smaller cities were at higher risks of riding in lanes for pedestrians, respectively (AOR = 1.59, 2.82 and 1.61). Riders who rode over 5 h a week and who rode on weekends were more likely to carry passengers than those who rode less than 1 h a week (AOR = 4.72) and those who rode only on weekdays (AOR = 3.93). We conclude that shared-bicycle riders frequently engage in some unsafe riding behaviors in urban China. Younger age, lower level of education, and longer hours of riding each week are associated with greater risks of some unsafe riding behaviors. Shared bicycles offer substantial benefit to societal health and transportation, but evidence-based interventions should be considered to reduce risks from unsafe shared bicycle riding behaviors. A well-designed road infrastructure with dedicated on-road bicycle lanes and readily-accessible comfortable, low-cost, and safe helmets may also reduce unsafe riding behaviors and unwanted crashes and injuries for shared bicycle riders.