title: Barriers to life jacket use among adult recreational boaters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify barriers to life jacket use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine public boat ramps in western Washington State, USA, August-November, 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  675 adult boaters (>18 years) on motor boats <26 feet long.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low or no life jacket use (0-50% of time) versus high life jacket use (51-100% of time).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low/no life jacket use (0-50% of time) was associated with longer boat length (per foot, risk ratio [RR] 1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05), alcohol use (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20), perception of life jackets as 'uncomfortable' (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.52), perceived greater level of swimming ability (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.53 for 'expert swimmer') and possibly with lack of confidence that a life jacket may save one from drowning (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.32). Low life jacket use was less likely when an inflatable life jacket was the primary life jacket used by a subject (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.94), a child was onboard (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.99) or if the respondent had taken a boating safety class (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Life jacket use may increase with more comfortable devices, such as inflatable life jackets, and with increased awareness of their efficacy in preventing drowning. Boater education classes may be associated with increased life jacket use among adults.
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: D Alex
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Quistberg
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Beth E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Ebel
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004332:Drowning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011998:Recreation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012767:Ships / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014861:Washington