Identifying foci for safety messages targeting child injury from driving quad bikes: A critical beliefs analysis of parental beliefs in Australia.

Introduction : In Australia, between 2017–2021, 16% of quad bike fatalities involved children. Trauma statistics highlight that public awareness of the risks associated with children driving quads is required. Consistent with the Step approach to Message Design and Testing (SatMDT) and, in particular, Steps 1 and 2, this study sought to identify critical beliefs influencing parental intentions to allow their children to drive a quad bike and develop message content. The critical beliefs analysis was based on eliciting the Theory of Planned Behavior's (TPB) behavioral, normative, and control beliefs. Methods: An online survey was distributed via parenting blogs, social media posts, and snowballing of the researchers' network list. Parents who participated (N = 71; 53F, 18 M), were aged between 25–57 years (M = 40.96, SD = 6.98), had at least one child aged between 3 to 16 years, and currently resided in Australia. Results: The critical beliefs analysis identified four critical beliefs that significantly predicted parental intentions to allow their child to drive a quad bike. These beliefs included a behavioral belief (the perceived advantage that allowing their child to drive a quad bike would enable tasks to be completed), two normative beliefs (the perception that one's parents and partner would likely approve of allowing their child to drive a quad bike), and one control belief (a perceived barrier to allowing one's child to drive a quad that was associated with being aware of an increasing cultural concern around the safety of quad bikes). Conclusions: Findings contribute to insights regarding parental beliefs underpinning their intention to allow their child to drive a quad bike, an area previously lacking in research evidence. Practical applications: With child-use posing a high-risk activity for children, this study provides an important contribution that may help to inform future safety messaging targeting children's use of quad bikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]