Although there have been many studies examining the factors involved in children’s risk of injury, there has been a dearth of research that examines specific individual parental factors in children’s risk of injury. This thesis examined how the attitudes, values, and beliefs of 119 Canadian minor hockey parents of children (aged 9 to 12 years) with respect to their decision-making regarding their children’s safe participation in hockey. Two studies are reported. The first study describes: (a) the development of a questionnaire that quantifies the constructs of perceived control, probabilities, values, risk propensity, competitiveness, and assertiveness expectancies; and (b) a sample of hockey parents in terms of their demographic characteristics and their attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding their children’s participation in minor hockey. The second study examined the relationships between these attitudes, values, and beliefs and a measure of their risk decision-making. Overall, results showed that (a) this sample of hockey parents tended to be well educated, and did not see themselves as being generally over-competitive or aggressive; (b) hockey parents’ attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding their children’s risk of concussion had very little predictive value or reliable connection with respect to their risk decision-making on behalf of their children; and (c) the most significant factors in parents’ risk decision-making were the opinions of their children, and the opinions of the doctors. The implications of these findings for future research and practice are discussed. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-12-21 16:12:00.221

Proefskrif ten opsigte van die voldoening aan die vereistes vir die graad: Doctor Technologiae: Omgewingsgesondheid in die Fakulteit Toegepaste Wetenskappe aan die Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / The economical impact of occupation-related diseases and injuries places an immense financial burden on the inhabitants of a country and its industry. There is little doubt that the human factor is the single most important contributing factor to critical work-related accidents. Safety measures in the field of occupational health and safety are normally implemented according to a specific hierarchy, whereby the use of personal protective equipment is seen as the last outcome to protect workers against accidents and disease. However, there is little doubt that the correct use of personal protective equipment can protect a worker against injury and even death. The purpose of this research was to address a limitation through the development of a risk model that is specifically aimed at the application of personal protective equipment in the field of occupational health and safety. This model informed the factors influencing the use of personal protective equipment, and is instrumental in the prevention of unsafe behaviour at work. This documented method of research analysed various risk models from previous research studies in order to develop a new model, the Factor Integration Model (FIM). This model consists of five components each with its own specific elements that are interrelated. Each element has a specific value that was determined by 20 local and international experts in the field of occupational health and safety. The 54 elements of the model were used to create an electronic Excel®-based questionnaire, namely the Electronic Risk Categorising Package (ERK). The ERK can be utilised to categorise the worker`s use of personal protective equipment into a low, low medium, high medium and high risk scale. The utilisation and efficiency of ERK were tested at six different industries by comparing the categorisation of ERK with that of the supervisors. In order to prevent research bias, neither the researcher nor the supervisors were familiar with each other’s categorisations. The results were compared and the ERK showed a correct categorisation of the use of personal protective equipment in 75% of the cases. It was further found that in the cases where the prediction was not 100% correct, the ERK noted the borderline cases and the human factor of wrong prediction by the supervisor had to be considered. The research concluded that the use of personal protective equipment is influenced by various factors and should not be seen in isolation. The role of both management of a company and human behavioural change should never be underestimated. The ERK is a useful aid to predict risk behaviour as well as the use of personal protective equipment in the occupational health and safety field.