Behavioral Predictors of Safe Diving Practices Among Aquaculture Workers: An Occupational Health Perspective.

OBJECTIVE

This study develops and validates a scale designed to measure safe diving culture among aquaculture divers. It also examines occupational health and safety behaviors by considering the individual, environmental, and organizational factors that influence safe diving practices.

METHOD: The study followed a methodological design combining descriptive analysis and scale development. Participants were professional aquaculture divers working in fish farming facilities in Türkiye (n = 613). Data was collected through an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted in AMOS, and all items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

FINDINGS: According to the EFA results, four factors accounted for 57.7% of the total variance: pre-dive planning and safety awareness, safe behavior during the dive, equipment and environmental safety, and post-dive risk management with behavioral attention. CFA supported this four-factor structure with excellent fit indices (χ2/df = 1.165; CFI = .988; TLI = .986; RMSEA = .026). Internal consistency values were high (α = .851-.877). SEM further confirmed the expected relationships among the subscales, indicating that diving safety reflects not only technical knowledge but also behavioral attitudes and organizational safety climate.

CONCLUSION

The "Safety Behavior Scale for Aquaculture Divers" offers a sound psychometric tool for evaluating behavioral safety culture in aquaculture diving. The scale provides a structured tool for assessing self-reported safe diving behaviors among aquaculture divers. By addressing diving behavior through multiple dimensions, the study provides a meaningful contribution to occupational health literature.