Self reported risk taking and risk compensation in skiers and snowboarders are associated with sensation seeking
Accident Analysis & PreventionPublished 22 February 2012
Gerhard Ruedl, Markus Abart, Larissa Ledochowski, Martin Burtscher, Martin Kopp
Citations90
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.01
SNIP2.59
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
The personality trait sensation seeking, not wearing of a ski helmet, appears to be associated with riskier behaviour on the ski slopes.
Abstract
In alpine skiing, a controversial discussion has been taking place regarding the potential influence of wearing a ski helmet on the individual level of risk taking behaviour. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether self reported risk taking behaviour and self reported risk compensation are associated with the personality trait sensation seeking (SS) in alpine skiing and snowboarding. In total, 683 persons (36% males and 64% females) completed an online-survey about attitudes and use of protective gear in winter sports including the German version of the sensation seeking scale form V. A logistic regression analysis including gender, age, nationality, preferred winter sport, self reported skiing ability, mean skiing time per season, use of ski helmets, and SS total score was used to estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95 CI) for self reported risk taking behaviour. Regression analysis revealed that a more risky behaviour increased with male gender (OR: 2.7), with an age28 days per season (OR: 2.2). In addition, SS total score was significantly higher in more risky compared to more cautious people (23.8 vs. 20.3, p.05). Also, skiers and snowboarders with self reported risk compensation while wearing a ski helmet had higher SS total scores compared to those who did not report risk compensation (23.8 vs. 20.9, p=.001). In addition, self reported risk compensation in helmet wearers increased with an age28 days per season (OR: 2.1). In conclusion, self reported risk taking and self reported risk compensation are associated with higher sensation seeking total scores. The personality trait sensation seeking, not wearing of a ski helmet, appears to be associated with riskier behaviour on the ski slopes.
Keywords
PsychologyMedicine
Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking
2,693 Citations1994Marvin Zuckerman
Educational and Psychological MeasurementA Meta-Analysis of Response Rates in Web- or Internet-Based Surveys
2,414 Citations2000Colleen Cook, Fred Heath +1 more
The number of contacts, personalized contacts, and precontacts are the factors most associated with higher response rates in the Web studies that are analyzed.
Personality and Individual DifferencesBehavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking
1,536 Citations1995Philip J. Corr
Journal of Research in PersonalityA review of behavioral and biological correlates of sensation seeking
565 Citations2003Jonathan W. Roberti
JAMAHelmet Use and Risk of Head Injuries in Alpine Skiers and Snowboarders
266 Citations2006Steinar Sulheim
Wearing a helmet is associated with reduced risk of head injury among snowboarders and alpine skiers.
Personality and Individual DifferencesSensation seeking among high- and low-risk sports participants
208 Citations1998Sarah Jane Jack, Kevin R. Ronan
BMJEffectiveness of helmets in skiers and snowboarders: case-control and case crossover study
206 Citations2005Brent Hagel, I B Pless +3 more
Helets protect skiers and snowboarders against head injuries and cannot rule out the possibility of an increased risk of neck injury with helmet use, but the estimates on which this assumption is based are imprecise.
Canadian Medical Association JournalThe effect of helmets on the risk of head and neck injuries among skiers and snowboarders: a meta-analysis
175 Citations2010Kelly Russell, Joshua R. Christie +1 more
The findings show that helmets reduce the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders with no evidence of an increased risk of neck injury.
EpidemiologyInjuries of the Head, Face, and Neck in Relation to Ski Helmet Use
125 Citations2008Beth A. Mueller, Peter Cummings +3 more
Helmet use may provide some protection from head injury among skiers and snowboarders involved in falls or collisions, and odds ratios for head, face, and neck injury among helmeted compared with unhelmeted persons.
BMC Public HealthSocial desirability and self-reported health risk behaviors in web-based research: three longitudinal studies
119 Citations2010Rik Crutzen, Anja S. Göritz
The studies at hand provided no convincing evidence to throw doubt on the usefulness of the Internet as a medium to collect self-reports on health risk behaviors and social desirability was not associated with self-reported current behavior or behavior frequency.
DiagnosticaPsychometrische Eigenschaften und Normen einer deutschsprachigen Fassung der Sensation Seeking-Skalen, Form V
111 Citations2003André Beauducel, Alexander Strobel +1 more
British Journal of Sports MedicineFactors associated with self-reported risk-taking behaviour on ski slopes
94 Citations2010Gerhard Ruedl, Elena Pocecco +5 more
Risk-taking behaviour on ski slopes is associated with younger age, higher skiing ability, male sex, lower body mass index and on average higher speeds; helmet use is not associated with riskier behaviour on slopes.
Injury PreventionTesting the risk compensation hypothesis for safety helmets in alpine skiing and snowboarding
86 Citations2007Michael D. Scott, David B. Buller +5 more
No evidence of risk compensation among helmet wearers was found and decisions to wear helmets may be part of a risk reduction orientation.
British Journal of Sports MedicineThe effectiveness of helmet wear in skiers and snowboarders: a systematic review
85 Citations2010Michael D. Cusimano, Judith Kwok
There is strong evidence to support the protective value of helmets in reducing the risk of head injuries in skiing and snowboarding and no good evidence tosupport the claim that the use of helmets leads to an increase risk of cervical spine injuries or neck injuries.
Personality and Individual DifferencesSensation seeking and injury risk in downhill skiing
78 Citations1988L.M. Bouter, Paul Knipschild +2 more
A validated Dutch version of Zuckerman's sensation seeking (SS) scale was sent to a population of downhill skiers and the observed correlations between SS subscales, as well as the trends associated with age and gender are in full agreement with the literature.
Accident Analysis & PreventionThe effect of helmet use on injury severity and crash circumstances in skiers and snowboarders
74 Citations2004Brent Hagel, I B Pless +3 more
It is suggested that helmet use in skiing and snowboarding is not associated with riskier activities that lead to non-head-neck injuries, and there was no evidence that Helmet use increased the risk of severe injury or high-energy crash circumstances.
Journal of ASTM InternationalHow Fast Do Winter Sports Participants Travel on Alpine Slopes?
72 Citations2005JE Shealy, CF Ettlinger +1 more
Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology ArthroscopySelf‐estimation of ability among skiers and snowboarders in alpine skiing resorts
65 Citations2006Steinar Sulheim, Arne Ekeland +1 more
The results show that the capacity to self-assess skiing ability is limited, but estimation based upon turning technique or skiing skill seem to be best methods for epidemiological studies on injuries in snow sports.
Wilderness and Environmental MedicineFatalities on Austrian Ski Slopes During a 5-year period
55 Citations2011Gerhard Ruedl, Hanno Bilek +4 more
Death is a rare event in recreational winter sports on Austrian ski slopes, and awareness of potential risk factors and common dangers may impact snow riders' behavior and help reduce the incidence of on-slope fatalities.
Journal of Neurosurgery PediatricsHelmet use and reduction in skull fractures in skiers and snowboarders admitted to the hospital
46 Citations2011Anand I. Rughani, Chih-Ta Lin +6 more
Among hospitalized children who sustained a head injury while skiing or snowboarding, a significantly lower number of patients suffered a skull fracture if they were wearing helmets at the time of the injury.
The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical CareHelmets for Snow Sports: Prevalence, Trends, Predictors and Attitudes to Use
36 Citations2010Thomas P. Cundy, Brenton J. Systermans +4 more
Identification of the snow sport participants least likely to wear a helmet and their reasons for not doing so should allow targeted helmet promotion and injury prevention strategies to reduce serious head injuries in snow sports.
Injury PreventionPrevalence and diffusion of helmet use at ski areas in Western North America in 2001–02
33 Citations2004Peter E. Andersen, David B. Buller +5 more
Experts and more frequent skiers and snowboarders are more likely to wear helmets, which may indicate that helmets are recognized as a safety device at western North American ski resorts.
Injury PreventionAttitudes regarding ski helmet use among helmet wearers and non-wearers
28 Citations2011Gerhard Ruedl, Martin Kopp +4 more
Evidence-based information about wearing a ski helmet should be implemented in preventive helmet campaigns focusing on non-wearers, because most arguments against helmet use seem to belong to subjective perception and to represent anticipatory negative cognitions, poorly supported by evidence.
The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical CareThe Prevalence and Predictors of Helmet Use by Skiers and Snowboarders at Ski Areas in Western North America in 2001
26 Citations2003David B. Buller, Peter E. Andersen +5 more
Helmet use was generally low but may be high enough by experts, snowboarders, and in the central Rocky Mountains to produce a norm stimulating further adoption.
The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical CareImpact of a Ski Helmet Mandatory on Helmet Use on Austrian Ski Slopes
25 Citations2011Gerhard Ruedl, Friedrich Brünner +2 more
A helmet mandatory for people aged 15 years or less may increase helmet use in involved age groups when helmet use is relatively low, however, public discussions and preventive helmet campaigns based on sound theories of health behavior change may also induce increases in Helmet use in skiers aged older than 15 years without helmet mandatory.
Injuries and Risk Taking in Alpine Skiing
18 Citations2000Claude Goulet, Guy Régnier +2 more
Sportverletzung · SportschadenWer trägt einen Skihelm? Helmtragequote auf österreichischen Skipisten in Abhängigkeit verschiedener Einflussfaktoren
16 Citations2010Gerhard Ruedl, R. Sommersacher +5 more
Evaluated the actual helmet use on Austrian ski slopes depending on various factors as gender, age, and nationality, used type of gear, skiing ability and risk taking behaviour, no significant differences have been found.
Sportverletzung · SportschadenRisikoverhalten und Sicherheitsempfinden bei Ski- und Snowboardfahrern
10 Citations2009Andreas Bürkner, A Eichbichler +1 more