February 29th, 2008 by 
adam
Providence, R.I. - Researchers from the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital announce the launch of an online survey that will be used to study cycling health and injuries. The study is entirely anonymous and there will be no way to identify participants of the survey.
The study – one of only a few studies to focus on cycling injuries specifically – is now accepting participants from across the nation. The Cyclist Health and Injury Survey, led by principal investigator Mark Greve, M.D., will look into:
- General demographics of cycling, including experience on a bike, how often they ride and for what purpose (i.e., utilitarian, leisure, or sport)
- General health of cyclist and how this is affected by their cycling.
- The types of injuries sustained while cycling, contributing factors and outcome
The results of the study will be used to provide feedback to the cycling industry, including the International Olympic Committee, USA Cycling organization, American Association of Cycling Team Doctors, urban planners and cycling engineers and manufacturers. “Meaningful data on cycling injuries essentially does not exist” says Greve. “The largest data sets from groups like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lump cycling and pedestrian injuries together. An incredible disservice to cyclists, as these are really very different kinds of injuries. There are reams of data on children and helmets, and great data demonstrating the risk of intoxication and bicycle riding. But little data exists on folks who ride their bikes for fitness, fun, competition, commuting or delivery of goods and services. We hope our study is the first of many that will help improve and promote cycling for health and transportation.”
Those interested in participating in this one-time survey are encouraged to visit cyclingstudy.lifespan.org. The survey takes five to ten minutes to complete. Participants do not have to have had an injury in the past year to complete the survey.
The study has been approved by Rhode Island Hospital and its Institutional Review Board. Using the online survey instrument DataStat, the study is approved by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and is completely confidential.
Dr. Greve is an attending physician and researcher in the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital and clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He is a member of the American Association of Cycling Team Doctors and a team physician for Team Type 1, a professional bicycle road racing team. His research interests include sports injury prevention. Along with Dr.Greve, other researchers involved with the study include Michael Mello, M.D., director of the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital and co-director of the Community Health Clerkship at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Dawn Richardson MD and Janette Baird, Ph.D., assistant professor at Brown University.
source: Mark Greve, Lifespan.org
