Through the looking glass: risk perception.
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Evidence that breast cancer is hormonally mediated has fueled women's concern that use of oral contraceptives (OC) will increase their risk of developing the disease. A recent reanalysis of combined worldwide epidemiologic evidence regarding the relationship between breast cancer risk and use of combination OC provides reassurance that there is little or no association between OC use and breast cancer. Ten or more years after discontinuation of OC use, there is no difference in cumulative risk of breast cancer among OC ever-users and never-users. The risk of breast cancer diagnosis is slightly elevated in current OC users and remains slightly elevated until about 10 years after OC discontinuation. Once recency of use is taken into account, other characteristics have little additional effect. There is no increase in breast cancer risk with increasing dose or duration of OC use and no difference in risk related to type of estrogen or progestin used. Moreover, those breast cancers diagnosed in OC ever-users were found to be significantly more likely to be localized than those diagnosed in same-age never-users.
Forty-one high-school students evaluated each of 30 activities (e.g. smoking, drinking, drug use, sex) on each of 14 characteristics of perceived risk and perceived benefit. They also indicated whether they themselves engaged in the activities. Adolescents who participated in an activity perceived the risks to be smaller, better known, and more controllable than did non-participants. Participants also perceived greater benefits relative to risks, greater peer pressure to engage in the activity, and a higher rate of participation by others. Implications for theory, research, and for health education and intervention programs are discussed.
This study investigated how members of a hand team perceive clinical signs after a fracture of the distal radius. The risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome I (CRPS-I) was assessed on a 100-mm straight line based on clinical signs 5 weeks, 7 weeks and 10 weeks after the accident. Members of the hand team perceived clinical signs significantly differently.
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Persons with mental disorders may lack the knowledge, skills, and social networks that help limit the spread of HIV by reducing risk behaviors. Nationally representative data from the 1999 U.S. National Health Interview Survey were used to estimate the prevalence of HIV risk behaviors among civilian noninstitutionalized adults with and without at least one of three psychiatric conditions (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic attacks) in the previous 12 months. Relative to adults without these mental disorders, adults with a mental disorder (8.8% of adults nationally) were more likely to have engaged in HIV risk behaviors since 1980 (5.5% vs. 1.6%). Adults with a mental disorder were also more likely to report a high or medium chance of becoming infected, were more likely to have been tested for HIV infection, and were more likely to expect to be tested within the next 12 months.
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Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) as well as EMF-related complaints has increased over the past decades. However, it is unclear whether these complaints are related to the electromagnetic or other physical properties of these fields per se, to salience of EMF in media, or to both. What is the prevalence of EMF-related complaints in the general population? What are the influencing factors on this prevalence? Does reporting of EMF-related symptoms depend on cognitive factors? To answer these questions, a survey with random variation of three cognitive factors was performed. As expected, EMF-related complaints were reported more by females and people with higher somatization tendency. Age had no significant linear effect on EMF-related complaints. The cognitive condition of threat produced a significant contrast effect among people with high somatization tendency on EMF-related complaints. Cognition can influence reporting of EMF-related effects. Thus, in future research of such effects, psychologically influencing factors should be included. Also risk communication should incorporate knowledge about social cognition.
A correct interpretation of the result of a CF carrier test and a correct understanding of the risk of having a CF child is complicated by the limited sensitivity of the DNA test. The present paper addresses this problem, with special attention for the residual risk after a negative test result. Secondly, the impact of the test results on child bearing decisions is evaluated. Seventy percent of a sample of 200 subjects tested in the Center for Human Genetics in Leuven answered a mailed questionnaire and participated in an interview. Knowledge about the recessive transmission of CF was weak. In the case of both partners receiving a negative test result, more than half the subjects were not aware of the restrictions of DNA testing, and were convinced that there was no residual risk. Two thirds of the subjects from the 'carrier + negative test result couples' were aware of the residual risk of having a CF child. This risk did not hamper further reproduction. Carriers who were single or whose partner was not tested, had much difficulties to understand the risk. Although most of them had no idea about their exact risk level, it influenced their childbearing decisions to some extent. It was also shown that the own risk of having a CF child had an impact on attitudes toward reproduction in hypothetical situations with different risk levels.
PURPOSE: To explore the experience of being on quarantine for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) with a focus on the relationship between perceived risk of contracting SARS and reported compliance with the quarantine order and protocols. DESIGN: Descriptive, qualitative. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had been quarantined during the SARS outbreak in Toronto in 2003. Data analysis was completed using an iterative and collaborative approach of reading and re-reading the transcribed interviews, identifying common themes, and comparing and contrasting the data. FINDINGS: To varying extents, participants wavered between fear and denial about their risk of contracting or spreading SARS. Reported compliance with the actual quarantine order was high. However, within households quarantine protocols were followed unevenly. CONCLUSIONS: This research indicates the need for greater credibility in public health communications to increase compliance with quarantine protocols and to contain outbreaks of new and deadly infectious diseases.
One thousand individuals in the age group 18-69 were selected for a multistage nationwide random sample. Of the interviewees 68.3% were of the opinion that the risk of AIDS, in Portugal, is considerably high and 37.1% stated that they had feared being infected by the HIV; 28.0% established a connection between being afraid and the fact that AIDS is a serious/incurable disease; 31.5% believed that there are risks inherent to the health services; only 7.8% expressed fear of AIDS because of an infected partner. Only 42.6% regarded extra-marital sexual relations as either partially or totally acceptable. Sexual relations between youths were seen as totally acceptable by 11.9% and partially acceptable by 51.1%. Homosexual relations between men were seen as either totally or partially acceptable by 38%. Of the interviewees, 7.8% thought that recent treatments can definitely cure AIDS and 6.5% believed that with recent treatments HIV transmission would no longer be possible.
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Perceived control was proposed to be a significant mediator for the relation often observed between mental simulation (simulation heuristic) and perceived personal risk for future lethal events. Baron and Kenny's (1986) procedure for testing a mediational hypothesis was used to evaluate this hypothesis. Employees of a recreational facility where a lifeguard was accidently electrocuted and a matched control group (N = 32) estimated their perceived risk for future electrocution events, how much personal control they believed they had over preventing future events, and the degree of clarity for mentally simulating future events. Although perceived control was not found to be a significant mediator for the relation between mental simulation and perceived risk as hypothesized, both mental simulation and perceived control accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in perceived risk for future electrocution events. The trauma group reported significantly higher ratings for perceived risk and mental simulation of future events. However, the trauma group did not differ from the non-trauma group on perceived control over future events. Possible explanations for the relatively high degree of perceived control over future electrocution events within the trauma group, in spite of their experience with a near-fatal electrocution event, are discussed.
Dengue is clearly a very serious public health problem. In the Americas the number of dengue cases has been increasing since the 1960s, and outbreaks of the disease have been occurring more frequently. Furthermore, the density of infestation with the disease vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is high in the Americas. The general strategy for preventing and controlling dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever is based on promoting behavior changes that lead to incorporating the community in controlling the disease, particularly the vector. In order to achieve this, mass communication programs on dengue should have two primary aims: converting information into practice and encouraging the community to take over prevention and control measures. The new generation of programs should be designed based on the local sanitation structure (water distribution and waste disposal) as well as information on community organizations and the roles of different family members. Furthermore, the new programs should incorporate all the following ten components: epidemiological surveillance, intersectoral actions, community participation, managing the environment and basic services, patient care, case reporting, education, using insecticides and vector control, training, and preparing for emergencies. Communication should be aimed at modifying the behavior of individuals and the community by empowering them to carry out prevention and control measures.
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