Rural adolescent attitudes and use of helmets while snowmobiling

Helmet-preventable head injuries are a common cause of snowmobiling-related injury. Our objective was to determine the demographics, helmet use, and attitudes regarding snowmobile helmet use among rural adolescents.

An anonymous survey was administered to a convenience sample of adolescents (ages 13-18) at the 2022 Iowa FFA Leadership Conference. Frequency and comparative analyses were performed.

Of the 1,331 respondents, 58% were female and 96% non-Hispanic White. One-half lived on farms, 21% lived in the country/not on a farm, and 28% lived in town. One-quarter (26%) lived in households owning a snowmobile, with higher ownership among farm residents (31%) compared to those in the country/not on a farm (23%) or in town (19%), p < 0.001. Over one-third of participants had ridden in the past year. Riding was more common amongst males, Caucasians, farm residents, and those from households owning snowmobiles (all p ≤ 0.01). Frequent riding (at least weekly) was higher among older teens and snowmobile-owning households (p = 0.025 and p < 0.001, respectively). Helmet use was: 67% always/mostly, 11% sometimes, and 21% rarely/never. The importance of snowmobile helmet use (from 1 to 10) was highly rated (median, 9; mean, 8.2). Relative to their peers, females (p = 0.018), those owning snowmobiles (p < 0.001), and frequent riders (p < 0.01) had greater proportions wearing helmets always/most of the time, and rated the importance of helmet use more highly. 59% supported snowmobile helmet laws.

While most rural adolescents value snowmobile helmet use and support legislation, nearly half report inconsistent use. Importantly, our study identified demographic groups for targeted interventions.