Kids, Helmets and Skateboarding/Snowboarding
Use of Protective Equipment by Adolescents in Inline Skating, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding. Erica L. Kroncke, Mark W. Niedfeldt, and Craig C. Young. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 18 (1) 2008.
Research has born out what many parents already know: kids don't like to wear protective gear while skateboarding and snowboarding. Still, researchers were curious to know how often and by which group personal protective equipment (PPE) was worn, and the reasons why they did or didn't wear PPE. The study involved 333 participants 13-18 years old, with the mean age of 14.9. There were differences in results across the ages of the participants, and among the three activities examined. Generally, though, snowboarders wore less PPE, and inline skaters wore the most; and "younger adolescents wore more PPE than older adolescents." Overall, the most common reasons given by participants who wore PPE were influence by parents, peers, and rules and requirements of the activity. Lack of perceived need and discomfort were the most common reasons for nonuse. Witnessing or sustaining an injury was the biggest reason for participants to start using PPE, while "almost half of adolescents reported nothing would convince them to wear PPE."
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