The primary objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of health risk appraisal (HRA) programs for increasing claimed and observed safety belt use. HRA programs were field tested with and without supplemental educational materials on safety belt use. Evaluations were performed to determine differences in safety belt use characteristics of treatment and control groups in work settings and medical settings in four states. Health risk appraisal is a method for ascertaining the probabilities of being at risk for a particular cause of death and for assessing an individuals future prospects for good or ill health. The information and recommendations from HRA help individuals identify modifiable health risks and provide recommendations for reducing certain health risks. Educational materials were developed in this study to supplement HRA programs on the subject of safety belts. The package, referred to as The Great American Habit Plan (GAHP), combined selected educational materials and messages using the fundamentals of behaviour change theory. The primary purpose of the GAHP was to increase the potential for HRA programs to effect positive changes in the safety belt use behaviour of an individual. The analysis produced several strong findings that support the hypothesis that HRA programs are capable of producing a positive behaviour change related to the use of safety belts. Also, the educational materials and the concepts used in their development, were considered by HRA program providers to be highly useful as a complement to information currently presented in HRA programs. The report will be of interest to safety program providers, administrators, and researchers in the traffic safety field, and to HRA vendors, program providers, and researchers in the public health education field. (A)
Abstract