Journal article
Predicting Adolescents' Intentions to Engage in Fire Risk Behaviors: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
BURNS, v 45(5), pp 1242-1250
01 Aug 2019
PMID: 30850226
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The current study examined the utility of Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining adolescents' intentions to engage in fire-risk behaviors (e.g., using accelerants to start a fire), while controlling for relevant background variables. A total of 222 youth (M age = 15.23 years; 69% female) were recruited from public schools in rural and urban areas in the United States. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed fire and burn safety knowledge, TPB components, adolescent psychopathology, parental monitoring, and adolescent risk-taking. Using a multiple regression analysis, the TPB significantly predicted adolescents' intentions to engage in fire-risk behaviors (F(3, 193)=40.44, p < .001, R-2 = .386). Specifically, adolescents' attitudes toward engaging in fire-risk behaviors (beta = .46, p < .001) and the social pressure they perceived from others (e.g., parents, friends; (beta = .19, p < .01) emerged as significant predictors of their intentions to engage in fire-risk behaviors. These results suggest that youth who had positive attitudes (e.g., engaging in fire-risk behaviors is fun) towards fire-risk behaviors and who believed significant others would approve of them engaging in fire-risk behaviors tended to have more intentions to engage in these behaviors. The TPB was able to account for the variance in adolescents' intentions over and above several control/background variables (e.g., SES, gender), with the exception of rebellious behavior (beta = .25, p <0.05). Results from this study can be used to inform the design of effective and targeted fire and burn prevention programs aimed specifically at adolescents. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.
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Details
- Title
- Predicting Adolescents' Intentions to Engage in Fire Risk Behaviors: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
- Creators
- Janelle M. Mentrikoski - West Virginia UniversityChristina L. Duncan - West Virginia UniversityPaul T. Enlow - West Virginia UniversityAriel M. Aballay - Allegheny Health Network
- Publication Details
- BURNS, v 45(5), pp 1242-1250
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- West Virginia University Department of Psychology Student Research Fund
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Surgery
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000470856100029
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85062358806
- Other Identifier
- 991022046652404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Critical Care Medicine
- Dermatology
- Surgery