Characteristics of bicycle-related head injuries among school-aged children in Taipei area

Risk factors of bicycle traffic injury among middle school students in chaoshan rural areas of china

BACKGROUND

Bicycle injuries are a leading cause of accidental death among children in the world, and bicycle-related injuries are also very common in China, thus to find out bicycle injury risk factors is imperative. This study aims to identify the cyclist-, bicycle- and road-related risk factors of bicycle injury, to develop health education programs as an intervention and to provide a scientific basis for establishing policies against bicycle injury.

METHODS

We selected two middle schools randomly among seven schools in Chaoshan rural areas,where the main means of transportation for students from home to school was bicycle. The subjects were middle school students from 7th to 9th grades from Gucuo Middle School and Hefeng Middle School. Cyclists were surveyed through questionnaires about bicycle injury in the past 12 months.

RESULTS

Multivariable logistic analysis showed that compared with a combination-type road、 motor lane and a non-intact road were both risk factors of bicycle injuries. This was followed by riding with fatigue, non-motor lane and inattentive riding.

CONCLUSION

Bicycle injuries are frequent in China. Three risk factors on bicycle traffic injury among middle school students in Chaoshan rural areas of China were identified. This study provides important data to develop intervention strategies for China and other developing countries.

Risk Factors for Bicycling Injuries in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Child and adolescent bicycling is beneficial, but injuries occur and can be severe and costly.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the individual and environmental factors associated with bicycling injury risk in children and adolescents.

DATA SOURCES

Fourteen electronic databases were searched.

STUDY SELECTION

Two authors independently assessed potentially relevant articles for eligibility. The inclusion criteria were as follows: bicyclists younger than 20 years old; examined individual and environmental characteristics of bicycling crashes; compared injured and uninjured bicyclists or bicyclists with different types or severity of injury; study designs with a predetermined comparison group; and published in English from January 1990 to May 2015. The exclusion criteria were outcomes related to helmet use, helmet legislation, or mountain biking, and comparisons of census-based injury rates.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data on study design, setting, population, injury definitions, injury risk factors, and results were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scales.

RESULTS

Fourteen articles were included. Lower socioeconomic status, riding on the road, riding in rural compared with urban areas, and riding on the sidewalk were associated with bicycling injury. Bicycling safety education did not protect children against future injury. Injuries related to a motor vehicle collision were more severe than other bicycling injuries.

LIMITATIONS

Study heterogeneity prevented meta-analyses. Study quality was affected by inadequate definitions of study groups and self-reported data.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower socioeconomic status and riding location were associated with bicycling injury and severity increased with motor vehicle collisions. The bicycling environment is a promising avenue for prevention.

Bicycle-Related Injuries Presenting to Tabriz Imam Reza Hospital, Iran

Background

Rising fuel cost and subsequent increase in transportation prices encourage people to use cheap transportation such as a bicycle. This vehicle can also be used for sports and recreation. Bicycles are widely used in Iran, like other countries. There is not enough data about bicycle-related traumas in our country.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to obtain the epidemiology of this type of injury in Tabriz Imam Reza Hospital as a referral center in northwest of Iran during 2009 to 2012.

Materials and Methods

One hundred bicycle-related patients during the three years were entered in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Patient’s demographics, place and time of crash, mechanism of trauma, helmet and other safety device usage, and disposition information were gathered by a researcher-made checklist. Admission rate and ward as well as the site of injuries were also collected. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using descriptive statistics.

Results

All the patients were males with a mean age of 31.3 ± 23.12. Seventy six bicycle-related injuries occurred during weekdays and 24 happened on holidays; 71 patients attended the emergency department in the morning and 29 at night. Only three of 100 cyclists had helmets during the accident. The rates of injuries were as follows: 65 head and face, 20 abdomen, 14 chest, 11 soft tissue, eight lower limb, eight cervical spine, six upper limb, four thoracic and lumbar spine, and three pelvis injuries.

Conclusions

Head and face are the most common sites of injury and skull fracture is the most common one. Considering the preventable entity of trauma, the use of helmets seems to be beneficial to prevent most bicycle-related injuries.

Cyclist-motorist crash patterns in Denmark: a latent class clustering approach

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed at uncovering patterns of cyclist-motorist crashes in Denmark and investigating their prevalence and severity. The importance of implementing clustering techniques for providing a holistic overview of vulnerable road users' crash patterns derives from the need to prioritize safety issues and to devise efficient preventive measures.

METHOD

The current study focused on cyclist-motorist crashes that occurred in Denmark during the period between 2007 and 2011. To uncover crash patterns, the current analysis applied latent class clustering, an unsupervised probabilistic clustering approach that relies on the statistical concept of likelihood and allows partial overlap across clusters.

RESULTS

The analysis yielded 13 distinguishable cyclist-motorist latent classes. Specific crash patterns for urban and rural areas were revealed. Prevalent features that allowed differentiating the latent classes were speed limit, infrastructure type, road surface conditions, number of lanes, motorized vehicle precrash maneuvers, the availability of a cycle lane, cyclist intoxication, and helmet wearing behavior. After the latent class clustering, the distribution of cyclists' injury severity within each cluster was analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

The latent class clustering approach provided a comprehensive and clear map of cyclist-motorist crash patterns. The results are useful for prioritizing and resolving safety issues in urban areas, where there is a significant share of cyclists potentially involved in multiple hazardous situations or where extensive bicycle sharing programs are planned.

[Cycling to achieve healthy and sustainable alternatives]

The quest for healthier cities and citizens has contributed to the strengthening of public policies championing the bicycle as a means of transportation and offering benefits to individual wellbeing in various countries, however there is also an increased risk of accidents. The scope of this review is to analyze scientific output dealing with the relationship between cycling as a means of transportation and public health. PubMed, LILACS and SciELO were the chosen databases used in the research and 66 complete articles were selected. The results show that concern about this theme is recent, especially in developing countries. The most recurrent topics raised by the researchers were: traffic safety, public policies and the effects of cycling on health. We concluded that the decision to use the bicycle as a means of transportation occurs in a very heterogeneous manner, albeit with potentially greater impacts in developing countries where the inclusion of this theme in the research agendas related to the promotion of active transport, health and traffic safety is a matter of urgency.