SMOKING, SEAT-BELT USE AND PERCEPTION OF HEALTH RISKS

As part of a study of perception of risks involved in health-related activities, 159 students (aged 16-21 years) rated 15 such activities in terms of perceived benefit, perceived risk, perceived likelihood of mishap and acceptability of present level of risk. After exclusion of 28 ex-smokers, subjects were classified into smokers vs. non-smokers, users vs. non-users of seat-belts, males vs. females and first-borns vs. later borns. There were various sex differences but few effects of birth order. Smokers tended to see a less unfavourable trade-off in terms of benefits as against risks for cigarette smoking than did non-smokers. This generalized to their ratings of pot smoking and alcoholic drinks. Non-users of seatbelts were distinguishable from users mainly in seeing greater risk and likelihood of mishap in preventive health measures such as vaccination.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03064603
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Eiser, J R
  • Harding, C M
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 75-78
• Serial:
  • Addictive Behaviors
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0306-4603
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03064603

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Females; Hazards; Health; Males; Manual safety belts; Risk assessment; Smoking; Utilization
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00386833
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 277
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM