Predicting adolescents' behavioral intention regarding safe farm tractor operatio

Rural youth provide a considerable portion of farm labor. Each year approximately 300 children die and another 23,500 are injured on the farm (Rivara, 1985). Tractors are the most common piece of farm equipment involved in child and adolescent fatalities.;The purpose of this study was to apply Ajzen and Fishbein's Theory of Reasoned Action to predict adolescents' behavioral intention regarding safe farm tractor operation. The study addressed the addition of behavioral norm to the model to improve prediction. Further purposes included the description of current tractor and power take-off shaft equipment and their adolescent operators, farm safety training status of adolescents, adolescents' perceptions of the helpfulness of this training, as well as adolescents' perceptions regarding the helpfulness of driver education in increasing farm safety awareness.;The population sampled for this study were those Illinois FFA groups from District 5 which responded to the Good News Survey Agriculture Education 1992. The sample included all tractor operating members from ten schools selected from District 5.;I developed the instrument used for this study. Permission was obtained to adapt certain demographic items from the Farm Health and Safety Survey (Hawk, Donham & Gay). There were eight subsections: (1) Behavioral Intention; (2) Attitude; (3) Subjective Norm; (4) Behavioral Norm; (5) Current Tractor Operation and Equipment; (6) Current Power Take-Off Shaft Operation; (7) Driver Education; and (8) Farm Safety Training.;The Pearson-r correlation coefficient was used to determine that subjective norm was the single best predictor of behavioral intention regarding safe farm tractor operation. Multiple regression was used to determine that the addition of behavioral norm to the model significantly improved prediction. Youth begin operating tractors and power take-off shaft equipment at a very early age. Age three was the youngest age cited for beginning tractor operation, and age four was the youngest age cited for beginning power take-off shaft equipment operation. It was determined that those with previous formal farm safety training, were more willing to attend this additional training. Driver education was perceived to be somewhat helpful in increasing farm safety awareness.