Children’s Understanding of No Diving Warning Signs: Implications for Preventing Childhood Injury

Abstract

The current study examined children’s understanding of No Diving warning signs. Normally-developing 7 to 10 year olds were asked questions to assess their understanding of text, images, and main messages on No Diving warning signs. These structured interviews were audio recorded and responses were later coded. Results revealed that children understood the behavior advised against (diving), why it is prohibited (can hit head on the bottom), and what can happen (serious injury including hospitalization). They understood that breaking your neck results in limitations in mobility and can occur from diving, but they did not anticipate that such an injury is likely to occur. There were no gender and few age differences, but diving experience was associated with children significantly downplaying their risk of injury. The findings suggest that having No Diving warning signs explicitly mention a broken neck, may serve to remind children of this potential consequence at the time of decision making. Active adult supervision is particularly important for children who have prior positive diving experiences.

Can exposure to framed messages about safety reduce risk behaviours by school-age children?

“…Using loss-framed messages might prove particularly useful, therefore, in injury-risk situations where outcomes from risk taking could be catastrophic (e.g., traumatic brain injury, paralysis). In a study of children’s judgements about how to create effective “No Diving” signs, for example, youth reported that messaging that explicitly mentioned the possibility of a broken neck would be more of a deterrent to diving than those lacking that information (Morrongiello et al, 2016). Tailoring messaging to children’s judgements about potential injury severity, therefore, might be an important consideration in applying this messaging approach to address other injury-risk behaviours.…”

A Narrative Synthesis of Childhood Injury Prevention Programs for Pre-school Children

“…For example, a historical study on firearm safety [13] showed that five-year olds exhibited a large increase in safety knowledge when age appropriate interventions were tested. Another study that tested children's understanding of safety signs [14] in 7-10 year olds recommended testing in younger age groups, as did one of the studies [11] included in the synthesis. O'Neill's Australian studies [15,16] support the finding that pre-school children do comprehend safety messages, providing evidence that injury prevention programs should begin in younger aged cohorts of children.…”

Children’s Understanding of Public Safety Signage: A Scoping Review

“…The study of public safety signs also includes public areas where national standards are not promulgated, such as swimming pools. As the number of injuries and deaths among children from drowning or swimming increases year by year, relevant studies have been conducted in Canada (Morrongiello et al, 2016), Netherlands (Boersema & Zwaga, 1989), and America (Loring & Wiklund, 1988). The most studied signs are 'No diving' and warning signs related to pool slides (no stopping on the slide, do not holding onto edges, etc.).…”