Persönliche Schutzausrüstung im Schneesport – Erhebung ... - BfU

Zusammenfassung / Résumé / Riassunto / Abstract 119
Ability-related variables
Level of skill: beginners have a higher risk of wrist injury. Although they are the group most at risk,
paradoxically they exhibit the lowest wearing quota. In contrast to a helmet, here it is the advanced
snowboarder who more frequently wears wrist protection, while experts and competition snow-
boarders use it less often.
Motives
Recreation: snowboarders who gave „recreation” as their motive more often wear wrist protection.
Accident-related variables
Injury experience: those with experience of injury as a result of a snow-sport accident tend to wear
wrist protection.
Attitude variables
The attitude towards the features of wrist protection has a notable influence on the probability of it
being worn.
Wearer comfort: wrist protection is not rated as uncomfortable by wearers whereas non-wearers are
convinced it is uncomfortable.
Necessity: the idea that taking care while snowboarding removes the need for protection has a
negative effect on wearer behaviour.
The following factors have proved to be unimportant in terms of wearing or not wearing wrist pro-
tection: sex / language region / snowboard category (hard vs. soft boots) / training in snow sport / experience
(in terms of the number of snowboard seasons and snowboard days per year) / motives
such as social contact, learning, competition, desire to experience limits, fun, sporting activity and
fresh air / accident experience outside snow-sport / rating of possible detraction from the feeling of
freedom / rating of protective effect and cost of wrist protection.
4.5.2 Potential measures
Beginners clearly give the most frequent reason for not wearing wrist protection as „have never
considered it”. It is essential to close this information gap. With informative measures in snowsport
regions, snowboarders could be made aware of existing risks „on the spot” and alerted to the
advisability of using protection. One option would be cooperation with snowboarding schools.
Above all, beginner’s classes should be informed of the advisability of using protection and possibly
offered the opportunity to test such protection for a day. In addition, snowboarders in general
should be made aware of wearing wrist protection, with a poster campaign for example.