A Multidimensional Reading of Different Approaches to Risk Among Ocean Swimmers[Une lecture multidimensionnelle des différents rapports au risque chez les baigneurs à l’océan]

The authors applied multidimensional exploratory statistical methods to data from a cross-sectional survey collected on a beach in southwestern France to show how the associations between risk attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of ocean swimmers shape how they approach swimming risks. More than information on the dangers of the ocean, the level of swimming ability that respondents believe they have plays a central role in risk assessments, particularly when it comes to swimming in deep water. The authors identified seven groups of individuals who differ in their approach to swimming risk. While the results confirm traditional assumptions on the influence of gender, they also suggest that the effects of age and familiarity with the location need to be taken into account. This diversity of profiles ultimately raises the question of how the different prevention messages disseminated are to be coordinated on a single beach.