scholarly journals Public perceptions of a rip current hazard education program: “Break the Grip of the Rip!”

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 1003-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Houser ◽  
Sarah Trimble ◽  
Robert Brander ◽  
B. Chris Brewster ◽  
Greg Dusek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rip Current ◽  
Rip Currents ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Education Material

Abstract. Rip currents pose a major global beach hazard; estimates of annual rip-current-related deaths in the United States alone range from 35 to 100 per year. Despite increased social research into beach-goer experience, little is known about levels of rip current knowledge within the general population. This study describes the results of an online survey to determine the extent of rip current knowledge across the United States, with the aim of improving and enhancing existing beach safety education material. Results suggest that the US-based Break the Grip of the Rip!® campaign has been successful in educating the public about rip current safety directly or indirectly, with the majority of respondents able to provide an accurate description of how to escape a rip current. However, the success of the campaign is limited by discrepancies between personal observations at the beach and rip forecasts that are broadcasted for a large area and time. It was the infrequent beach user that identified the largest discrepancies between the forecast and their observations. Since infrequent beach users also do not seek out lifeguards or take the same precautions as frequent beach users, it is argued that they are also at greatest risk of being caught in a dangerous situation. Results of this study suggest a need for the national campaign to provide greater focus on locally specific and verified rip forecasts and signage in coordination with lifeguards, but not at the expense of the successful national awareness program.

scholarly journals Public Perceptions of a Rip Current Hazard Education Program: Break the Grip of the Rip!

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Houser ◽  
Sarah Trimble ◽  
Robert Brander ◽  
B. Chris Brewster ◽  
Greg Dusek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rip Current ◽  
Rip Currents ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Education Material

Abstract. Rip currents pose a major global beach hazard; estimates of annual rip current related deaths in the United States alone range from 35 to 100 per year. Despite increased social research into beach-goer experience, little is known about levels of rip current knowledge within the general population. This study describes results of an online survey to determine the extent of rip current knowledge across the United States, with the aim of improving and enhancing existing beach safety education material. Results suggest that the Break the Grip of the Rip® campaign has been successful in educating the public about rip current safety directly or indirectly, with the majority of respondents able to provide an accurate description of how to escape a rip current. However, the success of the campaign is limited by discrepancies between personal observations at the beach and rip forecasts that are broadcasted for a large area and time. It was the infrequent beach user that identified the largest discrepancies between the forecast and their observations. Since infrequent beach users also do not seek out lifeguards or take the same precautions as frequent beach users, it is argued that they are also at greatest risk of being caught in a dangerous situation. Results of this study suggest a need for the national campaign to provide greater focus on locally specific and verified rip forecasts and signage in coordination with lifeguards, but not at the expense of the successful national awareness program.

scholarly journals Estimations of rip current rescues and drowning in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Chris Brewster ◽  
Richard E. Gould ◽  
Robert W. Brander
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incident Reporting ◽  
Rip Current ◽  
Rip Currents ◽  
States Data

Abstract. Rip currents are the greatest hazard to swimmers on surf beaches, but due to a lack of consistent incident reporting in many countries, it is often difficult to quantify the number of rip-current-related rescues and drowning deaths occurring along surf beaches. This study examines this problem using rescue data reported to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) by surf beach rescuers from 1997 through 2016. These data were checked, corrected, and culled so that only data from surf beach rescue agencies that reported the primary cause of rescue were included. Results show that rip currents are the primary cause of 81.9 % of rescues on surf beaches, with regional variation from 75.3 % (East Coast) to 84.7 % (West Coast). These values are significantly higher than those previously reported in the scientific literature (e.g., 36.5 %, 53.7 %). Using this value as a proxy when examining overall surf beach drowning fatalities, it is suggested that more than 100 fatal drownings per year occur due to rip currents in the United States. However, it is clear that the United States data would benefit by an increase in the number of lifeguard agencies which report surf-related rescues by primary cause.

scholarly journals Rip current rescues and drowning in the United States

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Chris Brewster ◽  
Richard E. Gould ◽  
Robert W. Brander
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incident Reporting ◽  
Rip Current ◽  
Rip Currents ◽  
States Data

Abstract. Rip currents are the greatest hazard to swimmers on surf beaches, but due to a lack of consistent incident reporting in many countries, it is often difficult to quantify the number of rip current related rescues and drowning deaths occurring along surf beaches. This study uses rescue data reported to the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) by surf beach lifeguards from 1997 through 2016 to provide an estimate of rip current related rescues in the United States. Results show that rip currents are the primary cause of 81.9 % of rescues on surf beaches, with regional variation from 75.3% (East Coast) to 84.7 % (West Coast). These values are significantly higher than those previously reported in the scientific literature. Using this value as a proxy when examining overall surf beach related drowning fatalities, it is suggested that an annual figure of 100 fatal drownings per year due to rip currents in the United States is possibly an under-estimate. However, it is clear that the United States data would benefit by an increase in the number of lifeguard agencies which report surf related rescues by primary cause.

scholarly journals Case Study of Rip Current Knowledge amongst Students Participating in a Study Abroad Program

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Houser ◽  
Rob Brander ◽  
Christian Brannstrom ◽  
Sarah Trimble ◽  
Jane Flaherty
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Rip Current ◽  
Rip Currents ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Studying Abroad ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Study Abroad Program

Students studying abroad or participating in a foreign exchange often visit a beach during their time abroad, but little is known about their understanding of rip currents and other surf hazards, their behavior, their choices, or if they take precautions when visiting a beach. This study describes the results of a survey of Texas A&M University students who completed a study abroad program between May 2013 and May 2015. Results of the survey suggest that a majority of the students surveyed (~74%) visited at least one beach during their time abroad, and over 50% of students visited more than 2 beaches. The visit to the beach was optional for most of the respondents and most went as part of a group. Decisions about the beaches visited tended to be based on convenience and recommendations from other students, tourists, or locals, and were rarely based on safety. Results of this preliminary study point to a need for implementing proactive beach safety education programs for students studying abroad.

An Assessment of the Cues College Students Interpret From a Sexual Partner to Determine They Are Refusing

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199793
Author(s):  
Tiffany L. Marcantonio ◽  
Danny Valdez ◽  
Kristen N. Jozkowski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Sexual Partner ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sexual Scripts ◽  
Nonverbal Cues ◽  
Sexual Experiences ◽  
Verbal Cues

The purpose of this study was to assess the cues college students use to determine a sexual partner is refusing vaginal-penile sex (i.e., refusal interpretations). As a secondary aim, we explored the influence of item wording ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal) on college students’ self-reported refusal interpretations. A sample of 175 college students from Canada and the United States completed an open-ended online survey where they were randomly assigned to one of two wording conditions ( not willing/non-consent vs refusal); students were then prompted to write about the cues they used to interpret their partner was refusing. An inductive coding procedure was used to analyze open-ended data. Themes included explicit and implicit verbal and nonverbal cues. The refusal condition elicited more explicit and implicit nonverbal cues than the not willing/non-consent condition. Frequency results suggested men reported interpreting more explicit and implicit verbal cues. Women reported interpreting more implicit nonverbal cues from their partner. Our findings reflect prior research and appear in line with traditional gender and sexual scripts. We recommend researchers consider using the word refusal when assessing the cues students interpret from their sexual partners as this wording choice may reflect college students’ sexual experiences more accurately.

scholarly journals Current knowledge of Chagas-related heart disease among pediatric cardiologists in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanchi Malhotra ◽  
Imran Masood ◽  
Noberto Giglio ◽  
Jay D. Pruetz ◽  
Pia S. Pannaraj
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cardiac Complications ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Background Chagas disease is a pathogenic parasitic infection with approximately 8 million cases worldwide and greater than 300,000 cases in the United States (U.S.). Chagas disease can lead to chronic cardiomyopathy and cardiac complications, with variable cardiac presentations in pediatrics making it difficult to recognize. The purpose of our study is to better understand current knowledge and experience with Chagas related heart disease among pediatric cardiologists in the U.S. Methods We prospectively disseminated a 19-question survey to pediatric cardiologists via 3 pediatric cardiology listservs. The survey included questions about demographics, Chagas disease presentation and experience. Results Of 139 responses, 119 cardiologists treat pediatric patients in the U.S. and were included. Most providers (87%) had not seen a case of Chagas disease in their practice; however, 72% also had never tested for it. The majority of knowledge-based questions about Chagas disease cardiac presentations were answered incorrectly, and 85% of providers expressed discomfort with recognizing cardiac presentations in children. Most respondents selected that they would not include Chagas disease on their differential diagnosis for presentations such as conduction anomalies, myocarditis and/or apical aneurysms, but would be more likely to include it if found in a Latin American immigrant. Of respondents, 87% agreed that they would be likely to attend a Chagas disease-related lecture. Conclusions Pediatric cardiologists in the U.S. have seen very few cases of Chagas disease, albeit most have not sent testing or included it in their differential diagnosis. Most individuals agreed that education on Chagas disease would be worth-while.

scholarly journals Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. eabh2939
Author(s):  
Justin Lessler ◽  
M. Kate Grabowski ◽  
Kyra H. Grantz ◽  
Elena Badillo-Goicoechea ◽  
C. Jessica E. Metcalf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Office Work ◽  
School Based ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Extra Curricular Activities ◽  
Low Levels

In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicates an increased risk of COVID-19-related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in-person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extra-curricular activities. A positive association between in-person schooling and COVID-19 outcomes persists at low levels of mitigation, but when seven or more mitigation measures are reported, a significant relationship is no longer observed. Among teachers, working outside the home was associated with an increase in COVID-19-related outcomes, but this association is similar to other occupations (e.g., healthcare, office work). While in-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures.

scholarly journals Abortion attempts without clinical supervision among transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive people in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjsrh-2020-200966
Author(s):  
Heidi Moseson ◽  
Laura Fix ◽  
Caitlin Gerdts ◽  
Sachiko Ragosta ◽  
Jen Hastings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Trauma ◽  
Abortion Care ◽  
And Gender

BackgroundTransgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive (TGE) people face barriers to abortion care and may consider abortion without clinical supervision.MethodsIn 2019, we recruited participants for an online survey about sexual and reproductive health. Eligible participants were TGE people assigned female or intersex at birth, 18 years and older, from across the United States, and recruited through The PRIDE Study or via online and in-person postings.ResultsOf 1694 TGE participants, 76 people (36% of those ever pregnant) reported considering trying to end a pregnancy on their own without clinical supervision, and a subset of these (n=40; 19% of those ever pregnant) reported attempting to do so. Methods fell into four broad categories: herbs (n=15, 38%), physical trauma (n=10, 25%), vitamin C (n=8, 20%) and substance use (n=7, 18%). Reasons given for abortion without clinical supervision ranged from perceived efficiency and desire for privacy, to structural issues including a lack of health insurance coverage, legal restrictions, denials of or mistreatment within clinical care, and cost.ConclusionsThese data highlight a high proportion of sampled TGE people who have attempted abortion without clinical supervision. This could reflect formidable barriers to facility-based abortion care as well as a strong desire for privacy and autonomy in the abortion process. Efforts are needed to connect TGE people with information on safe and effective methods of self-managed abortion and to dismantle barriers to clinical abortion care so that TGE people may freely choose a safe, effective abortion in either setting.

Measurement of Perceived Interpersonal and Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination in the United States

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107319112097338
Author(s):  
Naheed Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discrimination Index ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Component Models

Background: Hate crimes against Muslim Americans have increased exponentially in the past 20 years, but there is currently no scale for measuring perceived anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States. To fill this gap, this study used a mixed-method approach to develop scales for measuring perceived anti-Muslim discrimination. Method: Qualitative data informed the development and validation of the 19-item Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index and the 9-item Interpersonal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index. Quantitative data ( N = 347) were collected from Muslim Americans using an online survey and used to assess the anti-Muslim indexes. Results: Qualitative data contributed to the refinement scale items. Quantitative results indicated one-component models and modest to high reliability of the Interpersonal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index (.77) and Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index (.88) scales. Discussion: Study results established the validity of these novel scales for measuring the distinct facets of anti-Muslim discrimination not captured by the Everyday Discrimination Index. These scales will facilitate research on anti-Muslim discrimination and the health implications of this form of religious-based discrimination.

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