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

• Authors: Jacquelyn McClain, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; Jay M. Bernhardt, Emory University; Michael Beach, Emory University
• Journal Title: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Volume: Volume 11, Number 5
• Publisher: U.S. National Center for Disease Control and Prevention | 2005-05-01, Pages 670-676
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.3201/eid1105.040779
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Human Development; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Occupational Health and Safety
• Keywords: communicable diseases; emerging; risk assessment; water; recreation; swimming; parent; infant

Abstract

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.