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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2016; 6(2); 14; doi: 10.3390/ani6020014

Factors Influencing the Safety Behavior of German Equestrians: Attitudes towards Protective Equipment and Peer Behaviors.

Abstract: Human interactions with horses entail certain risks. Although the acceptance and use of protective gear is increasing, a high number of incidents and very low or inconsistent voluntary use of safety equipment are reported. While past studies have examined factors influencing the use of safety gear, they have explored neither their influence on the overall safety behavior, nor their relative influence in relation to each other. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap. We conducted an online survey with 2572 participants. By means of a subsequent multiple regression analysis, we explored 23 different variables in view of their influence on the protective behavior of equestrians. In total, we found 17 variables that exerted a significant influence. The results show that both having positive or negative attitudes towards safety products as well as the protective behavior of other horse owners or riding pupils from the stable have the strongest influence on the safety behavior of German equestrians. We consider such knowledge to be important for both scientists and practitioners, such as producers of protective gear or horse sport associations who might alter safety behavior in such a way that the number of horse-related injuries decreases in the long term.
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Publication Date: 2016-02-18 PubMed ID: 26901229PubMed Central: PMC4773741DOI: 10.3390/ani6020014Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study delves into the factors affecting the safety behaviors of German equestrians, specifically their attitudes toward using protective equipment and the influence of their peers. Through an online survey of 2572 participants, the researchers discovered 17 significant factors, emphasizing particularly on the attitudes towards safety gear and behaviors of fellow equestrians.

Methodology and Participants

  • The researchers engaged 2572 participants in an online survey to gather information on the factors that influence their safety behaviour while interacting with horses. These participants might be horse owners, riding pupils or those who frequently interact with horses in a stable environment.

Assessing Variables

  • The researchers used multiple regression analysis to analyze the relative contribution of 23 different variables to the protective behavior of the equestrians.
  • These variables could potentially include personal attitudes toward risk, previous injury experiences, influence of peer behaviour, perception of protective gear effectiveness, and so on.

Key Findings

  • This process led to the identification of 17 variables that significantly influence the safety behavior of German equestrians.
  • Most importantly, it was found that the attitudes of equestrians towards safety equipment, whether positive or negative, greatly influenced their protective behavior. Similarly, the behaviour of their peers, fellow horse owners, or riding pupils also played a significant role in their safety decisions.

Practical Implications

  • The findings of this study are informative both for scientists researching injury prevention and safety behaviors, as well as for practitioners in the equestrian industry, such as manufacturers of safety gear and riding associations.
  • As such, these stakeholders could utilize this information to introduce strategies and guidelines to encourage safer behaviour, with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of horse-related injuries in the long run.

Cite This Article

APA
Ikinger CM, Baldamus J, Spiller A. (2016). Factors Influencing the Safety Behavior of German Equestrians: Attitudes towards Protective Equipment and Peer Behaviors. Animals (Basel), 6(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani6020014

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 6
Issue: 2
PII: 14

Researcher Affiliations

Ikinger, Christina-Maria
  • Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE), Georg-August University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. christina.ikinger@agr.uni-goettingen.de.
Baldamus, Jana
  • Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE), Georg-August University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. Jana.Baldamus@t-online.de.
Spiller, Achim
  • Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE), Georg-August University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. a.spiller@agr.uni-goettingen.de.

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