An Intervention to Reduce Bicycle Injuries among Middle School Students in Rural China

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce bicycle injuries among rural middle school students in China. A one-year cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted with seventh grade students from six middle schools in two towns in rural Chaoshan, China. The two towns were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Road safety education materials, two lectures on road safety, and a series of health education activities were delivered to 1312 students in the intervention group over one year, and the content of the intervention included traffic safety knowledge, methods of preventing bicycle injury and management of bicycle injuries. Questionnaires weere administered to the two groups before and after the intervention to measure the incidence, cognitions, and behaviors related to bicycle injuries. The pre-intervention incidence of bicycle injuries exhibited no significant difference between the two groups, while the difference reached significance after the intervention (χ2 = 13.409, p < 0.001). In the intervention group, the incidence decreased significantly after the intervention (χ2 = 8.137, p = 0.004), while no significant change was observed in the control group. Publicity and education intervention measures have certain short-term effects on the prevention of bicycle injuries among rural middle school students; we should approach intervention measures according to the characteristics of traffic injuries in different areas.

Evidence From the Decade of Action for Road Safety: A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Interventions in Low and Middle-Income Countries

“…Education initiatives were found to have minor to moderate effects on health-related outcomes. In China, an education initiative about bicycle safety for seventh-grade students reduced the incidence of bicycle injuries in children ( 45 ). Similarly, in Thailand, a safety-riding program targeting motorcyclists, reduced motorcycle-related injuries by 30% ( 46 ).…”

Aspectos relacionados à prevenção do trauma automobilístico na população em geral

“…Apesar de esse fato não excluir a importância de campanhas de promoção do uso de equipamentos de segurança, isso torna ainda mais importante que o ambiente no qual o ciclista está inserido seja devidamente adaptado para recebê-lo de maneira adequada e segura, através, por exemplo, da implementação de espaços exclusivos para transporte de bicicletas. Por serem medidas estruturais e cujas demandas podem variar de acordo com a região, a participação do poder público nessa discussão, na implementação de soluções e no direcionamento de investimentos se torna necessária (Ji et al, 2017).…”

Prevention of childhood unintentional injuries in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

“…Pamphlets and videos for child safety seats Increase in knowledge and purchase of child safety seat [31] Lectures Decrease in incidence of bicycle injuries [42]; decrease in hospital admissions, decrease in ICU admission due to head trauma (significant) increase in helmet use (significant), decreased mortality (not significant) (combined with other interventions) [37] Increase in knowledge of drink driving risk; [32] change in knowledge about brain and spinal cord injuries but no change in attitudes toward prevention; [36] increased knowledge on helmet usage only; [38] no change in reported attitudes about injury prevention; [35] increase in knowledge and safety practices; [54] change in self-reported attitude; [41] decrease in self-reported drink driving; [30] reduced incidence of RTI; [50] change in risk perception [51] In-school training on the importance of helmets and proper fit Increase in observed helmet use [33] Promotional videos…”