1) Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden 2) Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Science, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden. 3) Department of Psychology, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden

Abstract

Objectives. Safety education often targets parental risk perception. Predictors of risk perception, however, are not well known. This limits the feasibility of effective safety education. Accordingly, in this study, a range of conceivable predictors of maternal risk perception were examined.Setting and methods. A random sample of 870 mothers in northern Sweden. Three different questionnaires, with scenarios of a burn injury, a bicycle injury in the home environment, and a bicycle injury in traffic, were completed by the subjects. Multiple linear regression models tested the possible influence of causal attributions, normative beliefs, and sociodemographic and behavior-related variables on mothers’ risk perception.Results. Causal attribution to the child was found to be the most important predictor of maternal risk perception. However, the most striking result was that only 15% to 24% of the variance in mothers’ risk perception could be explained by the multivariate models. Conclusions. Present theoretical models gives few clues for designing educational models that might be effective in affecting risk perception. Therefore, in order to make safety education more effective, other modifiable factors that influence parental safety behavior, such as subjective norms and self-efficacy, might be better targets.

Keywords

Maternal perceptions; Risk; Health education; Predictors of risk

Contact

Sellström Eva

Institution

1) Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden 2) Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Science, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden. 3) Department of Psychology, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden

Postaddress

Mid Sweden University CSL

Postcode

SE-831 25 Östersund

Country

Sweden

E-mail

evasel@omega.studo.mh.se