Evaluation of Changes in Knowledge and Attitude Among Youth After a One-Hour Introduction to Workplace Safety and Health: Safety Matters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baker, Dean B. ; DiMeo-Ediger M ; Guerin R ; Okun, Andrea H. ; Smith R
• Description:
  Introduction: Young workers in the United States are injured at higher rates than adults, a trend that has persisted for more than two decades. Despite known risks, young people enter the workforce with little-or-no preparation for the hazards they may face. In 2016, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and American Industrial Hygiene Association developed Safety Matters, a one-hour educational module to raise awareness of workplace safety and health among young people. Method: A pilot project was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Safety Matters to positively change workplace safety and health knowledge and attitude scores among a sample of 283 youth in Colorado. Train-the-trainer sessions prepared volunteer safety and health professionals to deliver Safety Matters with fidelity and to conduct the assessment immediately prior to and following the program. Results: After receiving Safety Matters, participants had statistically significant (p < 0.001) increased scores for both workplace safety and health knowledge (Cohen's d = 1.12; large effect size) and importance (attitude) (Cohen's d = 0.51; medium effect size). Although univariate analyses showed knowledge and attitude scores significantly increased for all demographic groups examined, there were statistically significant differences in knowledge scores by participant age (p < 0.01), ethnicity (p < 0.05), and race (p < 0.001) and statistically significant differences in attitude scores by participant race (p < 0.001). However, when race and ethnicity were both used as predictors in a regression model, only race continued to predict statistically significant (p < 0.01) changes in knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: This project introduces a promising, community-based model for a one-hour introduction to workplace safety and health on which future, job-specific safety training can be built. Practical Applications: Safety and health professionals can play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young workers. Adapting health and safety programs to diverse youth populations may enhance program relevance and receptivity. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Adolescent Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Accident Prevention Adolescents Author Keywords: Young Workers Curricula Curriculum Development Injury Prevention Prevention Safety Education Training Young Workers
• ISSN:
  0022-4375
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  306-311
• Volume:
  89
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069312
• Citation:
  J Safety Res 2024 Jun; 89:306-311
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrea Okun, Government Division, Synergy America, Inc. 6340 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 200 Duluth, GA 30097
• Email:
  aokun@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Colorado, Denver
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Safety Research
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:610ea032e71c0820631f2c6df6e7e66890e62d5fe795179b66bfa97558ed612f43cc1dfd8a8e07edd70629c58ad484faf0e805424932e2e502f3030df61b7efc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207812/cdc_207812_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 422.85 KB ]