PERCEPTION TOWARDS WATER SAFETY AND RISK OF INJURY AMONG NDUM STUDENTS

Abstract

This is an extensive study covering a wide range of student participation and demographics. 351 NDUM students, ages 18 to 28, participated (n = 202 male, n = 149 female). In order to gather data on students' self-reported involvement in water recreational activities, swimming proficiency, and perceptions of water safety and injury risk during water activities, the researcher employed random sampling in this study. The results showed that there were high perceptions of injury risk (M=19.75, SD±3.363) (53.3% more than mean) and low perceptions of water safety (M=32.03, SD±6.520), with a score that was 57.8% below the mean. Additionally, students stated that swimming (21.4%) and kayaking (22.8%) are the most popular recreational activities. Additionally, gender differences were found to be significantly associated with perceptions of water safety (t(350)=3.114, p <0.05). Ability to swim (χ2 (1, N =351) =4.669, p <0.05), as well as how well, how far, and how close downing experiences were related to perceptions of water safety, differed significantly. Living near water resources and perception of water safety are environmental factors that show significant differences in this analysis (χ2 (1,N=351)=4.187,p<0.05). There are no appreciable variations in those variables with regard to the perception of injury risk, though. Understanding these associations can be useful in developing approaches to improve the perception of water safety and potentially reduce the perception of risk and injury. In summary, taking everything into account, this study provides valuable insights into the ways in which various factors interact to influence people's perceptions of the safety of the water.