Risk Factors for Accidents and Close Calls in Junior Freeriders, Adolescent Alpine Skiers and Adult Freeriders—A Comparison

Abstract

Understanding factors associated with risk-taking behavior, accidents and close calls could enhance prevention strategies and thus contribute to preventing serious injury or death in the long term. The following study aims to assess these factors in junior freeride athletes in comparison with competitive alpine skiers of similar age and adult freeriders. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was used to assess risk-related variables and potential associated factors. Accident and close call involvement did not significantly differ between the groups (p > 0.080). No significant relationships between gender and risk-related variables were found (|r| < 0.26). Precautionary behavior was higher in freeride adults and freeride juniors compared to alpine skiers (p < 0.001) and deliberate risk-taking was lower in freeride adults compared to junior freeriders and alpine skiers (p < 0.001). Regression analyses revealed that the association between self-objectification and accidents was stronger in freeride juniors compared to alpine skiers of similar age and freeride adults (p < 0.049). Although accidents and close calls were similar between groups, age seems to be an associated variable to deliberate risk-taking and precautionary behavior. The relationship between accidents and self-objectification in freeride juniors implicates a need for risk education in freeriders in the sensitive phase of adolescence beyond the mere presentation of environmental dangers.

Mapping Risk Judgment and Risk Taking in Mountain Hiking: An Information Integration Approach

“…Our results highlighted the existence of two different relationships between risk judgment and risk taking: a negative relationship and no relationship (Mills et al, 2008; Reyna & Farley, 2006). Our results did not reflect the positive relationship between these variables highlighted by Reyna and Farley (2006), perhaps because the latter researchers studied adolescents, while we studied young adults and these populations may differ in their views of risk (Frühauf et al, 2020).…”

“…This might be because we studied adults and Kern et al studied adolescents. Adolescents' and adults' views of risk may differ (Frühauf et al, 2020). Our study found a negative relationship between risk judgment and risk taking.…”

“…Risk acceptability is essential for understanding the complex construction of risk taking (Tchiehe & Gauthier, 2017). Fourth, given that adolescents and adults may differ in their approach to risk (Frühauf et al, 2020), further studies should map the cognitive processes involved in risk judgment and risk taking by participants of varying ages. Fifth, we did not probe other risk factors reported in the literature, such as years of experience (e.g., Mannberg et al, 2018) and age (e.g., Frühauf et al, 2020), or personal temperament, such as having a high level of self-belief (Clough et al, 2016) and self-efficacy (Houge Mackenzie et al, 2011).…”

“…Risk acceptability is essential for understanding the complex construction of risk taking (Tchiehe & Gauthier, 2017). Fourthly, given that adolescents and adults may differed in their approach to risk (Frühauf et al, 2020), further studies should map the cognitive processes involved in risk judgment and risk taking by adolescents.…”