Would New Zealand adolescents cycle to school more if allowed to cycle without a helmet?

Introduction: The effectiveness of bicycle helmet use in preventing head injuries has been well documented. Mandatory helmet-use legislation is present in multiple countries including New Zealand. However, studies examining the correlates of adolescents’ perception that they would cycle to school more often if helmet legislation was repealed are scant. This study examined these correlates in a sample of New Zealand adolescents. Methods: Adolescents (n = 774; age: 13–18 years) from all 12 secondary schools in Dunedin, New Zealand, completed an online questionnaire about their cycling to school and cycling in general behaviours and perceptions and opinions about bicycle helmet use as a barrier to cycling to school. Data were examined using multivariate linear regression. Results: Overall, 22.1% of adolescents stated that would cycle to school more often if helmet use was not mandatory. In the multivariate model, perception of the required helmet use as a barrier to cycling to school was positively associated with the actual distance to school, Māori and other ethnicities, adolescents’ perception that cycling to school is not ‘cool’ boring route to school, and frequent cycling with friends (all p < 0.05). Conversely, required helmet use as a barrier for cycling to school was negatively associated with adolescents’ perception that cycling to school is a good way to get exercise (p < 0.05). Conclusions: One in five adolescents perceived helmet use to be a barrier to cycling to school. Diverse demographic and interpersonal factors as well as environmental influences were identified as significant correlates. The present findings can be used to design educational interventions to influence adolescents’ attitudes towards the helmet use.