Assessing Parents' Perception of Children's Risk for Recreational Water Illnesses

Understanding people's risk perceptions and motivations to adopt preventive behavior is important in preventing the spread of recreational water illnesses (RWI) and other emerging infectious diseases. We developed a comprehensive scale measuring parents' perceived risk of their children contracting RWI. Parents (N = 263) completed a self-administered questionnaire with scale items based on 4 constructs of the Protection Motivation Theory: perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. Exploratory factor analysis identified 7 underlying factors, indicating 7 subscales of perceived risk for RWI. Cronbach α ranged from 0.60 to 0.81. The Precaution Adoption Process Model supported scale construct validity. This study provides the first perceived risk scale for exploring psychosocial factors that may predict or mediate the adoption of behaviors that prevent the spread of infectious diseases contracted by children while swimming. Findings from this study also provide implications for encouraging preventive behavior against other emerging infectious diseases.

[1]  N D Weinstein,et al.  Perceived probability, perceived severity, and health-protective behavior. , 2000, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[2]  B. Fischhoff,et al.  Behavioral decision theory perspectives on risk and safety , 1984 .

[3]  J. E. Maddux,et al.  Social cognitive models of health and exercise behavior: An introduction and review of conceptual issues , 1993 .

[4]  D. Levy,et al.  Surveillance for waterborne-disease outbreaks--United States, 1997-1998. , 2000, MMWR. CDC surveillance summaries : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. CDC surveillance summaries.

[5]  Cara L. Cuite,et al.  Risk perceptions and their relation to risk behavior , 2004, Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

[6]  R. W. Rogers,et al.  A Protection Motivation Theory of Fear Appeals and Attitude Change1. , 1975, The Journal of psychology.

[7]  Howard B. Lee,et al.  A First Course in Factor Analysis 2nd Ed , 1973 .

[8]  N. Weinstein.  The precaution adoption process. , 1988, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[9]  R. Holland,et al.  A qualitative investigation of vaccine risk perception amongst parents who immunize their children: a matter of public health concern. , 2003, Journal of public health medicine.

[10]  J. Watkins,et al.  An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis associated with a swimming pool , 1991, Epidemiology and Infection.

[11]  D. Streiner,et al.  Health Measurement Scales: A practical guide to thier development and use , 1989 .

[12]  Manfred S. Green,et al.  Compliance with influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations in Israel, 1999-2002. , 2003, Public health reviews.

[13]  R. Schafer,et al.  Food safety: An application of the health belief model , 1993 .

[14]  J. Pligt.  Risk Perception and Self-Protective Behavior , 1996 .

[15]  S. Hansson.  Dimensions of Risk , 1989 .

[16]  D. Fleming,et al.  A community-wide outbreak of cryptosporidiosis associated with swimming at a wave pool. , 1994, JAMA.

[17]  L. Rajmil.  Health measurement scales. A practical guide to their development and use, 3rd ed , 2005 .

[18]  D. Commerce.  Statistical abstract of the United States , 1978 .

[19]  Lynn J. Frewer,et al.  THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE, CONTROL AND RISK ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF FOOD‐RELATED HAZARDS TARGETED AT THE INDIVIDUAL, OTHER PEOPLE AND SOCIETY , 1994 .

[20]  B. Tabachnick,et al.  Using Multivariate Statistics , 1983 .

[21]  L. Grummer-Strawn,et al.  Adherence to Antimicrobial Inhalational Anthrax Prophylaxis among Postal Workers, Washington, D.C., 2001 , 2002, Emerging infectious diseases.

[22]  J. Lemmon,et al.  Outbreak of cryptosporidiosis linked to an indoor swimming pool , 1996, The Medical journal of Australia.

[23]  R Shepherd,et al.  Public perceptions of the potential hazards associated with food production and food consumption: an empirical study. , 1994, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[24]  Howard B. Lee,et al.  A first course in factor analysis , 1973 .

[25]  J. Hadler,et al.  West Nile Virus Serosurvey and Assessment of Personal Prevention Efforts in an Area with Intense Epizootic Activity: Connecticut, 2000 , 2001, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[26]  J. van der Pligt,et al.  Perceived risk and vulnerability as predictors of precautionary behaviour , 1998 .

[27]  B. Bushman,et al.  Relation between perceived vulnerability to HIV and precautionary sexual behavior. , 1996, Psychological bulletin.

[28]  H. E. Tinsley,et al.  Uses of factor analysis in counseling psychology research. , 1987 .

[29]  P. Sheeran,et al.  Prediction and Intervention in Health-Related Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review of Protection Motivation Theory , 2000 .

[30]  N D Weinstein,et al.  Why it won't happen to me: perceptions of risk factors and susceptibility. , 1984, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[31]  R. Spier,et al.  Perception of risk of vaccine adverse events: a historical perspective. , 2001, Vaccine.

[32]  G. Rowe,et al.  Public perceptions of everyday food hazards: a psychometric study. , 1996, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[33]  P. Slovic.  Perception of risk. , 1987, Science.

[34]  R. Bailey,et al.  Predisposing factors for individuals' Lyme disease prevention practices: Connecticut, Maine, and Montana. , 1997, American journal of public health.

[35]  L. Heron,et al.  A statewide outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in New South Wales associated with swimming at public pools , 2001, Epidemiology and Infection.

[36]  M. J. Quadrel,et al.  Risk perception and communication , 2008 .

[37]  Paul Kline,et al.  An easy guide to factor analysis , 1993 .