ABSTRACT
This paper reports a prospective, longitudinal comparison of the Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, 1966) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985) in which the models were used to predict and understand the use of protective helmets among schoolboy cyclists. In 1997 a total of 24,585 cyclists were injured in the United Kingdom, 2,707 aged between 8 and 11, 3,971 between 12 and 15, and 2,563 between 16 and 19; 354 of the 8-11 year olds, 511 of the 12-15 year olds, and 351 of the 16-19 year olds were seriously injured or killed (Department of Transport, 1998). These figures are consistent with research from around the world showing that child cyclists are over-represented in accident and casualty statistics (Weiss, 1986; Hoque, 1990; Stutts, Williamson, Whitley & Sheldon, 1990; Cooke, Margolius & Cadden, 1993). In a review presented in an earlier paper (Arnold & Quine, 1994) we showed that casualty rates for child cyclists are frequently under-reported (Cross & Fisher, 1977; Langley, Silva & Williams, 1987; Agran, Castillo & Winn, 1990; Harris, 1990; Stutts et al, 1990; Maimaris, Summers, Browning & Palmer, 1994); that casualties are age-related (Jones, 1989); and that boys are at particularly high risk (Stutts et al., 1990; Collins, Langley & Marshall, 1993; Thomas, Acton, Nixon, Battistutta, Pitt & Clark, 1994; Towner, Jarvis, Walsh & Aynsley-Green, 1994). Cycling accidents are frequently school related, occurring on weekdays on journeys to and from school (Taylor, 1989) and they often result in serious head injuries (McDermot & Klug, 1982; Wood & Milne, 1988; Stutts et al., 1990). A number of studies provide evidence that cycle helmets will help prevent or lessen the severity of head injury (Wood & Milne, 1988; Dorsch, Woodward & Somers, 1987; Pitt, Thomas, Nixon, Clark, Battistutta & Acton, 1994; Thomas et al., 1994).
