Table 3.
Respondent life jacket use characteristics, perceptions and behaviors associated with no/low life jacket use
| Life Jacket Use | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARACTERISTIC | High (51–100%) (n=106) % |
Low (0–50%) (n=569) % |
RR (95% CI)a |
| Usually wear inflatable life jacketb | 33 | 11 | 0.77 (0.63–0.94)c |
| Inflatable life jacket onboard | 37 | 15 | 0.78 (0.68–0.88)c |
| Confidence that life jacket may save from drowning | |||
| Very Confident | 88 | 84 | Refd |
| Confident | 11 | 14 | 1.03 (0.94–1.14) |
| No confidence | 1 | 3 | 1.13 (0.96–1.32) |
| How comfortable is your life jacketb | |||
| Very comfortable | 75 | 46 | Refe |
| Somewhat comfortable | 21 | 34 | 1.19 (1.04–1.35) |
| Uncomfortable | 4 | 20 | 1.29 (1.09–1.52) |
| Do you usually wear a life jacket in these situations:f | |||
| In Choppy Waters | 65 | 77 | 1.16 (1.06–1.27)g |
| When Fishing | 37 | 16 | 0.84 (0.74–0.94)g |
| When Crowded | 44 | 26 | 0.90 (0.82–0.98)g |
| When Coast Guard Is Nearby | 29 | 13 | 0.86 (0.76–0.98)h |
| After Drinking | 26 | 16 | 0.89 (0.80–0.99)i |
| Times swam in pool last 12 months | |||
| 0 | 40 | 41 | Refj |
| 1 – 12 | 46 | 38 | 0.91 (0.85–0.99) |
| 13+ | 14 | 21 | 0.96 (0.88–1.04) |
| Times swam in open water last 12 months | |||
| 0 | 47 | 30 | Refk |
| 1 – 12 | 41 | 42 | 1.08 (0.99–1.18) |
| 13+ | 13 | 29 | 1.15 (1.05–1.26) |
| Perceived swimming ability | |||
| Beginner/Non-Swimmer | 17 | 6 | Refl |
| Intermediate | 50 | 52 | 1.24 (1.02–1.52) |
| Expert | 33 | 42 | 1.25 (1.03–1.53) |
| Drink Alcohol While Boating | |||
| Never | 69 | 48 | Refm |
| Rarely | 12 | 19 | 1.11 (1.02–1.20) |
| Occasionally | 15 | 25 | 1.09 (1.02–1.18) |
| Often | 4 | 8 | 1.13 (1.03–1.25) |
Risk ratio and 95% confidence interval
Only among those who reported any habitual life jacket use overall (High Use, N=106; Low Use, N=265)
Adjusted for Boating Frequency
Adjusted for Age, Gender, Education, Income, Experience, Boating Frequency, Activity, Boat Length, Inflatable Onboard, How Often Drink, Swimming Ability
Adjusted for Boating Frequency & Use Inflatable life jacket
Reference category is “No”
Adjusted for life jacket Comfort & Usual Water Type
Adjusted for life jacket Comfort, Usual Water Type & Boat Length
Adjusted for life jacket Comfort and How Often Drink
Adjusted for Age, Swimming Ability, Ocean Swimming, & Usual Water Type
Adjusted for Swimming Ability & Usual Water Type
Age, Boat Length, Boating Frequency, Activity, Boat Length, Pool Swimming, & Open Water Swimming
Boat Length and Swimming Ability