Volume 11, Number 5—May 2005
Research
Assessing Parents' Perception of Children's Risk for Recreational Water Illnesses
Jacquelyn McClain*, Jay M. Bernhardt†
, and Michael J. Beach‡
, and Michael J. Beach‡
Table 1
Perceived risk subscales and factor loadings*
| Item | Factor |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1. Disease vector acknowledgment (perceived vulnerability) (α = 0.76)† | ||
| A well-maintained pool is germ-free. | 0.610 | 0.121 |
| Chlorinated pool water is just as clean as drinking water. | 0.607 | 0.005 |
| Chlorine kills all germs instantly. | 0.541 | 0.141 |
| A swimming pool contains fewer germs than oceans or lakes that can make my child sick. | 0.516 | 0.178 |
| My child is more likely to get sick from germs in a restaurant than from a swimming pool. | 0.501 | 0.173 |
| Pool management makes sure that the pool my child swims in is germ-free. | 0.483 | 0.007 |
| My child is more likely to get sick from germs from a public restroom than a swimming pool. | 0.459 | 0.009 |
| Swimming in chlorinated water with other swimmers can spread germs. | 0.404 | 0.271 |
| 2. Knowledge of germ transmission (perceived vulnerability) (α = 0.73)† | ||
| It is possible that there are germs in a pool that can cause eye infections. | 0.140 | 0.698 |
| It is possible that there are germs in a pool that cause skin infections. | 0.211 | 0.653 |
| Swallowing water while swimming in a pool increases the risk of getting sick from germs. | 0.165 | 0.586 |
| My child can get sick if she or he swims in a pool when another swimmer has diarrhea. | 0.009 | 0.492 |
| It is possible that there are germs in a pool that cause ear infections. | 0.120 | 0.485 |
| If one child in my family were to get sick with diarrhea from swimming in a chlorinated pool, she or he could infect the rest of the family. | 0.004 | 0.423 |
| 3. Perceived severity of diarrheal illness (α = 0.65)‡ | ||
| Diarrhea is dangerous to my child's health. | 0.725 | 0.190 |
| Diarrhea threatens a child's health. | 0.611 | 0.150 |
| It is difficult for children to get well from diarrhea. | 0.422 | 0.185 |
| Compared to other children, diarrhea is more dangerous to my child's health. | 0.416 | 0.003 |
| 4. Perceived severity of nongastrointestinal illness (α = 0.63)‡ | ||
| An eye infection from a germ in the pool is easily treated. | 0.161 | 0.739 |
| Children recover easily from earaches caused by germs in a chlorinated pool. | 0.007 | 0.604 |
| I am not worried about skin rashes that are caused by germs in the pool. | 0.249 | 0.441 |
| 5. Response efficacy of behavioral modifications (α = 0.70)§ | ||
| Taking children on frequent bathroom breaks will reduce the feces in the pool. | 0.759 | 0.101 |
| Taking children on frequent bathroom breaks will reduce the amount of urine that will get into the pool. | 0.690 | –0.008 |
| If parents keep their children who are sick with diarrhea out of the pool, illness to other children will be reduced. | 0.623 | 0.002 |
| Maintaining chlorine levels will reduce the number of germs in the pool. | 0.488 | 0.008 |
| Parents who avoid changing diapers near the pool help keep germs out of the pool. | 0.409 | 0.103 |
| 6. Response efficacy of swim diapers (α = 0.78)§ | ||
| Swim diapers are effective in preventing feces from getting into the pool. | 0.003 | 0.812 |
| Swim diapers prevent germs from spreading in a pool. | 0.129 | 0.796 |
| 7. Self-efficacy for gastrointestinal RWI prevention (α = 0.60)¶ | ||
| It is difficult to interrupt my child for bathroom breaks while she or he is playing in the pool. | 0.632 | |
| It would be difficult to stop my child from swimming for 2 weeks after his or her diarrhea stops. | 0.524 | |
| It is difficult to tell my child that she or he cannot swim when she or he has diarrhea. | 0.523 | |
| It is difficult to constantly supervise my children while they are playing in the pool. | 0.465 | |
*Bold numbers indicate the factors on which the items load. RWI, recreational water illness.
†Scales 1 and 2 combined: total variance 29.1%, α 0.79.
‡Scales 3 and 4 combined: total variance 36.8%, α 0.69.
§Scales 5 and 6 combined: total variance 45.6%, α 0.63.
¶Scale 7: total variance 38.2%.
Page created: April 24, 2012
Page updated: April 24, 2012
Page reviewed: April 24, 2012
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