Grant: Project Grant

Skateboarding is gaining in popularity. In fact, estimates show a growth rate exceeding that of any other sport and reaching 166% yearly. With increasing growth of the sport, there has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of skateparks (SP). Municipalities are building SP to move skateboarders away from traffic, to motivate more outdoor play activities in an effort to improve health, and in response to demands from youth and parents for safe-play resources for skateboarders. Unfortunately, the increase in SPs is paralleled by an increase in injuries. In fact, in every instance that it has been studied in Canada and elsewhere, injuries post-SP openings have significantly exceeded pre-SP injury rates, resulting in significant increased health care costs. Unlike playgrounds, for which there are voluntary safety standards to reduce injury risk, SP can be built with any features - there are no safety guidelines (mandatory or voluntary). The proposed research addresses this child safety issue. The objectives will be achieved by completing two studies that capitalize on a feasibility pilot project already completed by the team. Study 1 will be an observational study of the usage patterns shown by youth (two age groups) on an outdoor SP so we can determine to what extent different features are used and the differential rate of falls for different maneuvers (tricks, typical usage) performed on those features. These findings will be used to develop a "Guidelines for Safer Design of Skateparks" manual. In Study 2 we will conduct focus group interviews with youth skateboarders, including those who have experienced a fracture on the SP, to understand their perspectives on our findings and suggestions for solutions. These findings will be used to develop a "Guide for Safer Skateboarding for Youth" which will highlight the risk behaviors that increase risk of injuries. These studies can inform future efforts to prevent injuries to youth who skateboard on skateparks.