A comparison of attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia for beachgoers, rural residents and international tourists

Williamson, A; Hatfield, J; Sherker, S; Brander, R; Hayen, A

A comparison of attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia for beachgoers, rural residents and international tourists

Williamson, A Hatfield, J Sherker, S Brander, R Hayen, A

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2012, 36 (4), pp. 385 - 391
Issue Date:: 2012-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Williamson, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hatfield, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sherker, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brander, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hayen, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4046-8030	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2012, 36 (4), pp. 385 - 391	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1326-0200	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115121
dc.description.abstract	Objectives: To compare attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia of beachgoers, rural inland residents and international tourists. Method: This analysis is part of the 2007 baseline survey for the Science of the Surf project and involved interviews of 367 people on beaches in New South Wales (NSW), 62 rural residents of a moderate-sized inland town and 73 international tourists visiting Sydney beaches. Participants were asked about various aspects of beach safety and shown photographs of beaches and asked to indicate where they would swim and to identify the location of any rip currents. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictors of swimming choice. Results: Most beachgoers were aware that swimming between flags indicating a patrolled section of beach was the safe swimming option, but a significant proportion chose not to swim there. Rural residents were more likely than the other two groups to make safe choices about where to swim in the presence of flags. The odds of international tourists making a safe swimming choice in the vicinity of a rip current were three times lower than usual beachgoers and rural inland residents. Conclusions and Implications: Improving beach safety will require more refined strategies for specific target groups rather than a series of one-size-fits-all approaches. © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/j.1753-6405.2012.00888.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Public Health	en_US
dc.title	A comparison of attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia for beachgoers, rural residents and international tourists	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	36	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	1605 Policy and Administration	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Public Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	36	en_US

Abstract:

Objectives: To compare attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia of beachgoers, rural inland residents and international tourists. Method: This analysis is part of the 2007 baseline survey for the Science of the Surf project and involved interviews of 367 people on beaches in New South Wales (NSW), 62 rural residents of a moderate-sized inland town and 73 international tourists visiting Sydney beaches. Participants were asked about various aspects of beach safety and shown photographs of beaches and asked to indicate where they would swim and to identify the location of any rip currents. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictors of swimming choice. Results: Most beachgoers were aware that swimming between flags indicating a patrolled section of beach was the safe swimming option, but a significant proportion chose not to swim there. Rural residents were more likely than the other two groups to make safe choices about where to swim in the presence of flags. The odds of international tourists making a safe swimming choice in the vicinity of a rip current were three times lower than usual beachgoers and rural inland residents. Conclusions and Implications: Improving beach safety will require more refined strategies for specific target groups rather than a series of one-size-fits-all approaches. © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115121