The bicycle helmet attitudes scale: using the health belief model to predict helmet use among undergraduates.

OBJECTIVE This study examined bicycle helmet attitudes and practices of college undergraduates and developed the Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale, which was guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974, in Becker MH, ed. The Health Belief Model and Personal Health Behavior. Thorofare, NJ: Charles B. Slack; 1974:328-335) to predict reported helmet use. PARTICIPANTS Students (N = 337) from a mid-sized university in the southeast completed a survey between November 2006 and November 2007. METHODS Participants completed a comprehensive survey on attitudes and behaviors relevant to bicycle helmet use. RESULTS The resulting Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale contains 57 items and represents 10 reliable subscales that reflect the HBM. Only 12% of students were self-reported helmet users. Bicycle Helmet Attitudes Scale scores captured 52% of the variance associated with helmet use; each subscale differentiated wearers from nonwearers. Men reported more media influences than did women. CONCLUSIONS The utility of the HBM to predicted bicycle helmet use was supported. Implications for promoting cycling safety are discussed.