Accident frequency and unrealistic optimism: children's assessment of risk

Accidental injury is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among children, warranting research on their risk perceptions. Three hundred and seven children aged 10-11 years assessed the frequency, danger and personal risk likelihood of 8 accidents. Two socialcognitive biases were manifested. The frequency of rare accidents (e.g. drowning) was overestimated, and the frequency of common accidents (e.g. bike accidents) underestimated; and the majority of children showed unrealistic optimism tending to see themselves as less likely to suffer these accidents in comparison to their peers, offering superior skills or parental control of the environment as an explanation. In the case of pedestrian accidents, children recognised their seriousness, underestimated the frequency of this risk and regarded their own road crossing skill as protection. These findings highlight the challenging task facing safety educators who, when teaching conventional safety knowledge and routines, also need to alert children to the danger of over-confidence without disabling them though fear

The impact of cycle proficiency training on cycle-related behaviours and accidents in adolescence:Findings from ALSPAC, a UK longitudinal cohort

Abstract Background Cycle accidents are a common cause of physical injury in children and adolescents. Education is one strategy to reduce cycle-related injuries. In the UK, some children undertake National Cycle Proficiency Scheme [NCPS] training (now known as Bikeability) in their final years of primary school. It aims to promote cycling and safe cycling behaviours but there has been little scientific evaluation of its effectiveness. Methods The sample (n = 5415) were participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who reported whether or not they had received NCPS training. Outcomes were self-reported at 14 and 16 years: cycling to school, ownership of cycle helmet, use of cycle helmet and high-visibility clothing on last cycle, and involvement in a cycle accident. An additional outcome, hospital admittance due to a cycle accident from 11 to 16 years, was also included for a subsample (n = 2222) who have been linked to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data. Results Approximately 40 % of the sample had received NCPS training. Trained children were more likely to cycle to school and to own a cycle helmet at both 14 and 16 years, to have worn a helmet on their last cycle at age 14, and to have worn high-visibility clothing at age 16, than those who had not attended a course. NCPS training was not associated with self-reported involvement in a cycle accident, and only six of those with HES data had been admitted to hospital due to a cycle accident. Irrespective of training, results indicate very low use of high-visibility clothing, very few girls cycling as part of their school commute, and less than half of helmet owners wearing one on their last cycle. Conclusions Our results suggest cycle training courses for children can have benefits that persist into adolescence. However, the low use of cycle helmets, very low use of high-visibility clothing, and low levels of cycling to school for girls, indicate the further potential for interventions to encourage cycling, and safe cycling behaviours, in young people

An evaluation of the impact of 'Lifeskills' training on road safety, substance use and hospital attendance in adolescence

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate if attendance at Lifeskills, a safety education centre for children in Year 6 (10–11 years), is associated with engagement in safer behaviours, and with fewer accidents and injuries, in adolescence.MethodsThe sample are participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who attended school in the Lifeskills catchment area in Year 6; 60% attended Lifeskills. At 14–15 years, participants (n approximately 3000, varies by outcome) self-reported road safety behaviours and accidents, and perceived health effects and use of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco. Additional outcomes from linkage to Hospital Episodes Statistics were available for a sub-sample (n=1768): hospital admittance (for accident-related reason, from 11–16 years) and A&E attendance (for any reason, from approximately 14–16 years).ResultsChildren who attended Lifeskills were more likely to report using pedestrian crossings on their way to school than children who did not attend (59% versus 52%). Lifeskills attendance was unrelated to the ownership of cycle helmets, or the use of cycle helmets, seat belts, or reflective/fluorescent clothing, or to A&E attendance. Use of cycle helmets (37%) and reflective/fluorescent clothing (<4%) on last cycle was low irrespective of Lifeskills attendance. Lifeskills attendance was associated with less reported smoking and cannabis use, but was generally unrelated to perceptions of the health impact of substance use.ConclusionsLifeskills attendance was associated with some safer behaviours in adolescence. The overall low use of cycle helmets and reflective/fluorescent clothing evidences the need for powerful promotion of some safer behaviours at Lifeskills and at follow-up in schools

The Prisoners' Dilemma and city-centre traffic

Such problems as inner-city traffic congestion and pollution are often asserted to be examples of the n-person Prisoners' Dilemma Game (PD), but there is a dearth of empirical research that tests this assertion. 551 car owners in Oxford responded to three pairs of alternatives designed as traffic versions of the four outcomes of the PD, by stating which alternative in each pair they preferred. Only 2% of respondents showed the full set of preferences which fit the PD. Four sets of preferences were common and accounted for 93% of responses suggesting that no single canonical game structure represents the traffic problem. The most common set of preferences, shown by 48% of respondents, fitted an 'Assurance Game'. The results imply that the current city-centre traffic problem may be in substantial part due to lack of assurance and trust rather than raw self-interest. The public policy implications of the results are discussed. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.

The Prisoner`s Dilemma and City-Centre Traffic.

It is commonly asserted that such problems as inner-city traffic congestion and pollution can be understood as examples of the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game (PD), but there is a dearth of empirical research that tests this assertion. 587 car owners in Oxford City were presented with three pairs of alternatives designed as traffic versions of the four outcomes of the PD, and asked to state which alternative in each pair they preferred. Only 2% of respondents showed the full set of preferences which fit the PD. Four sets of preferences accounted for 93% of responses suggesting that no single canonical game structure can represent the traffic problem. The most common set of preferences, shown by 48% of respondents fitted an “Assurance Game”. The results imply that the current traffic problem may be due to lack of assurance and trust rather than raw self-interest. The public policy implications of the data are discussed

Implicit attitudes to organ donor registration: altruism and distaste

Organ transplantation offers patients cost-efficient quality-of-life improvements and life-saving opportunities. In England, the majority of transplants emanate from cadaver donation in a system where would-be-donors register their agreement to donation. Despite the majority of the population stating approval of organ donation, only a minority register as a donor. Research has traditionally examined explicit attitudes, typically demonstrating how distaste limits the translation of altruism into behaviour. In contrast, this study explored the relationship of implicit as well as explicit altruistic and distaste attitudes to donor register status. A cross-sectional study employed a novel approach to the measurement of implicit attitudes as participants (N = 166, mean age 22 years) completed a Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) on organ donation with two separate components – one examining implicit altruistic attitudes and another examining implicit distaste attitudes. Explicit altruistic and explicit distaste attitudes were measured via a questionnaire, as was organ donor register status. Multinomial logistic regression investigated the relationship of register position to altruistic and distaste explicit and implicit attitudes, gender and age, and established that those intending to register (33%) and those who did not intend to register (30%) were differentiated from those already registered (37%) in a number of ways (LRx2 = 84.22, df 12, p < .001). Explicit altruistic attitudes were very positive among all three groups. Negative explicit distaste attitudes were especially characteristic of those who did not intend to register. Implicit distaste attitudes did not vary by register status, but negative altruistic implicit attitudes were more commonly found among those intending to register than among the registered. Men were under-represented on the register, and over-represented among those intending to register. The results are relevant for donation propaganda indicating the possibility that among intenders, registration may be limited more by ambivalent altruism than by distaste

Cycle helmet wearing in teenagers - do health beliefs influence behaviour?

A Personal view article in the Archives of Disease in Childhood - no abstrac

Additional file 1: of The impact of cycle proficiency training on cycle-related behaviours and accidents in adolescence: findings from ALSPAC, a UK longitudinal cohort

Supplementary Tables (Tables A, B, and C). (DOCX 15 kb