The relationship between parental bicycle helmet use and that of their children

• Nearly all children own helmets, but they wear them less than their parents. • Parental behaviour influences children’s helmet use more than attitudes. • Younger children mimic parental helmet use more than older children. • Children’s attitudes mediate the effect of parental attitudes on helmet use. • Interventions should enhance parental engagement to boost helmet use in kids. Understanding the factors influencing children’s safety practices, such as helmet use, is essential for developing effective interventions. This study investigates the relationship between parental bicycle helmet use and their children, focusing on parental attitudes and behaviours. The study was conducted in Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, with 103 parent–child dyads (children aged 10–16) using convenience sampling and a cross-sectional survey. The primary aim was to assess whether parental attitudes or behaviours more strongly predict children’s helmet use and examine if child age and sex moderate these relationships. The survey evaluated cycling frequency, helmet use, perceived social norms and the costs and benefits of helmet use. Although nearly all children owned helmets, they wore them less frequently than their parents. A positive correlation was observed between parent and child helmet-wearing and cycling, indicating parental behaviour’s significant role in shaping children’s safety practices. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to understand the attitudes and behaviour of children in relation to helmet wearing, while accounting for the influence of the parent attitudes and behaviour. When this dyadic relationship was considered, the impact of parental attitudes on children’s helmet use was indirect, mediated through children’s own attitudes, and younger children mimicked parental behaviour more than older children. These findings highlight the importance of parental modelling in encouraging helmet use. Interventions should focus on enhancing parental engagement and addressing children’s perceived barriers. By elucidating the dynamics of parental influence, this research aids in developing effective safety campaigns to promote helmet use and cycling safety for young cyclists.