RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A School-Based Study of Adolescent All-Terrain Vehicle Exposure, Safety Behaviors, and Crash Experience
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 310
OP 316
DO 10.1370/afm.1663
VO 12
IS 4
A1 Charles A. Jennissen
A1 Karisa K. Harland
A1 Kristel Wetjen
A1 Jeffrey Peck
A1 Pam Hoogerwerf
A1 Gerene M. Denning
YR 2014
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/12/4/310.abstract
AB PURPOSE More youth are killed every year in the United States in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes than on bicycles, and since 2001, one-fifth of all ATV fatalities have involved victims aged 15 years or younger. Effectively preventing pediatric ATV-related deaths and injuries requires knowledge about youth riding practices. Our objective was to examine ATV use, crash prevalence, and riding behaviors among adolescent students in a rural state. METHODS We administered a cross-sectional survey to 4,684 youths aged 11 to 16 years at 30 schools across Iowa from November 2010 to April 2013. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. RESULTS Regardless of rurality, at least 75% of students reported having been on an ATV, with 38% of those riding daily or weekly. Among ATV riders, 57% had been in a crash. Most riders engaged in risky behaviors, including riding with passengers (92%), on public roads (81%), or without a helmet (64%). Almost 60% reported engaging in all 3 behaviors; only 2% engaged in none. Multivariable modeling revealed male youth, students riding daily/weekly, and those reporting both riding on public roads and with passengers were 1.61 (95% CI, 1.36–1.91), 3.73 (95% CI, 3.10–4.50), and 3.24 (95% CI, 2.09–5.04) times more likely to report a crash, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Three-fourths of youths surveyed were exposed to ATVs. The majority of riders had engaged in unsafe behaviors and experienced a crash. Given this widespread use and the potentially considerable morbidity of pediatric ATV crashes, prevention efforts, including anticipatory guidance by primary care clinicians serving families at risk, should be a higher priority.