Risk taking, reported injury, and perception of future injury among adolescents

Investigated the relationships among self-reported injury, risk taking, and perception of injury risk in a sample of 1,426 adolescents, 14 to 18 years old. Both risk taking and injury were higher in males than females across age groups. Having a friend injured the same way was the strongest predictor of injury, accounting for 28% of the variance. Risk taking accounted for 4% of the variance. Sociodemographic variables-gender, age, and race-accounted for only 1% of the variance. Findings underscore the potential role of pediatric psychologists in both understanding and reducing the incidence of adolescent injury.