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Injury and risk-taking behavior-a systematic review
Cathy Turner1, Rod McClure, Sandi Pirozzo
1Injury Prevention Unit, School of Population Health, Mayne Medical School, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, 4006, Qld, Brisbane, Australia. r.mcclure@smh.uq.edu.au
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|October 24, 2003
Summary
Risk-taking behavior generally increases injury risk, but may decrease it in high-skill sports. More research is needed for effective public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Risk-taking behavior is frequently discussed in relation to injury causation.
- Most existing literature comprises theoretical commentaries rather than empirical evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the empirical evidence linking risk-taking behavior and injury.
- To identify gaps in the current research framework.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of empirical studies.
- Inclusion of six case-control studies and one retrospective cohort study.
- Meta-analysis was not feasible due to variable study designs and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Risk-taking behavior is associated with a higher likelihood of injury across various measures.
- An exception was observed in high-skill, risk-taking sports, where the association may be reversed.
- Heterogeneity in study variables precluded a meta-analysis.
Conclusions:
- A consensus framework for studying risk-taking behavior and injury is lacking.
- Further research is required to build a robust evidence base for public health interventions.
- Existing evidence suggests potential benefits for community health through focused efforts in this domain.