The Seattle children's bicycle helmet campaign: changes in helmet use and head injury admissions.

OBJECTIVE To describe the impact of a community bicycle helmet campaign on helmet use and the incidence of bicycle-related head injuries. SETTING Metropolitan community and a large health maintenance organization. INTERVENTIONS Communitywide bicycle helmet campaign. OUTCOMES Rate of observed bicycle helmet use in the community and incidence of bicycle-related injuries in an health maintenance organization population. RESULTS Helmet use among school-aged children increased from 5.5% in 1987 to 40.2% in 1992. Bicycle-related head injuries decreased by 66.6% in 5- to 9-year-old and 67.6% in 10- to 14-year-old members of an health maintenance organization. CONCLUSIONS Educational campaigns can increase helmet use and decrease the incidence of bicycle-related head injury.