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At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources

PubMed2006

Measuring perceptions of breast cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Accurate measurement of people's risk perceptions is important for numerous bodies of research and in clinical practice, but there is no consensus about the best measure. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated three measures of women's breast cancer risk perception by assessing their psychometric and test characteristics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional mailed survey to women from a primary care population asked participants to rate their chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime on a 0% to 100% numerical scale and a verbal scale with five descriptive categories, and to compare their risk to others (seven categories). Six hundred three of 956 women returned the survey (63.1%), and we analyzed surveys from the 566 women without a self-reported personal history of breast or ovarian cancer. RESULTS: Scores on the numeric, verbal, and comparative measures were correlated with each other (r > 0.50), worry (r > 0.51), the Gail estimate (r > 0.26), and family history (r > 0.25). The numerical scale had the strongest correlation with annual mammogram (r = 0.19), and its correlation with the Gail estimate was unassociated with participants' sociodemographics. The numerical and comparative measures had the highest sensitivity (0.89-0.90) and specificity (0.99) for identifying women with very high risk perception. The numerical and comparative scale also did well in identifying women with very low risk perception, although the numerical scale had the highest specificity (0.96), whereas the comparative scale had the highest sensitivity (0.89). CONCLUSION: Different measures of women's perceptions about breast cancer risk have different strengths and weaknesses. Although the numerical measure did best overall, the optimal measure depends on the goals of the measure (i.e., avoidance of false positives or false negatives).

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Risk factor control and perceptions of risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease.

Treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia improves cardiovascular and overall mortality in patients with coronary heart disease. Adequate awareness of atherogenic risk factors is a key first step that enables patients to address their risk factors. In a recently completed study in coronary heart disease patients at coronary angiography and 18 months later, we found that skewed views about atherogenic risk factors in general were expressed. In addition, awareness of the patients' own hypercholesterolaemia or diabetes mellitus was often inadequate or lacking, in contrast to their awareness of blood pressure or bad smoking habits. Awareness of risk factors had only marginally improved 18 months after the initial investigation. Smoking habits, total cholesterol, and HDL values had improved over 18 months but lipid values were far from reaching target values of accepted guidelines. A majority of our patients remained with at least one treatable and insufficiently controlled atherogenic risk factor, usually hypercholesterolaemia. Interestingly, higher awareness of risk factors correlated with better risk factor control. These observations suggest that systematic interventions are necessary to further ameliorate secondary prevention in coronary heart disease. Successful standardized programmes of high or perhaps medium intensity, that include systematic screening of risk factors, reasoned educational interventions, and methodical management of treatable atherogenic risk factors according to accepted, guidelines, therefore require further attention in daily medical practice.

Coronary Angiography↗

PubMed2003

Risk communication and foodborne illness: message sponsorship and attempts to stimulate perceptions of risk.

Foodborne illness represents a serious health hazard in the United States. Since foodborne illness can often be prevented by an individual's behavior, messages aimed at promoting safe food-handling behaviors should be a major tool to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. This article argues that to achieve adoption of safe food-handling practices in the home, food-safety messages should both stimulate risk perceptions and promote self-efficacy, feelings that one can successfully enact recommended behaviors. A content analysis of nationally distributed food-safety messages questioned if messages incorporated these features. Since food-safety communicators operate in complex environments with multiple and sometimes competing objectives, this study also questioned if sponsorship of foodborne illness prevention messages was related to the amount of content designed to alter risk perceptions associated with foodborne illness. Results of the quantitative content analysis found that copywriters generally included content designed to stimulate risk perception about foodborne illness but virtually ignored self-efficacy needs of the audience. A marked difference in tendencies to stimulate risk perceptions was found based on sponsorship. Both in volume and proportion, results show that governmentally sponsored messages more aggressively attempted to heighten risk perceptions associated with foodborne illness than did messages sponsored by privately funded communicators.

Communication↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Perception of environmental risks: qualitative study done in the affected by the Aznalcóllar toxic spill area].

BACKGROUND: This paper is based on a qualitative study undertaken between July and August 1998 among the residents of the area close the mining waste spill that occurred the 25th of April 1998 in Aznalcóllar, Seville, Spain. OBJECTIVES: To contribute to the identification of some clues about risk perceptions among the population living at the vicinity of the toxic spill, focusing especially on the perceived health risks, the sources of information, their credibility, and the expectations for the future. METHODOLOGY: Combined qualitative research methodologies were used, including interviews and focal groups. RESULTS: The findings show the existence of a perception of the economic consequences of the spill. In a second level possible the consequences for the health status were relevant. Perceived health risks referred to long term effects, such as malformations and cancer. No changes in habits and behaviour are expressed. The information comes from the media, even if mistrust and perplexity are associated with the information received. There is low of credibility towards the administration, ecologist groups and the media. The role of the health system appears poorly defined. The perceived absence of an adequate information to the audience is noted, and there is a demand from the affected population for an informed participation in the process of management of environmental risks. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this work stress the importance of an adequate communication process in the management of health risks associated with environmental hazards. Moreover, it also highlights the need to improve the knowledge about environmental risk perceptions in our country through both quantitative and qualitative research, in the context of the modern risk management and the growing relevance of environmental topics in the social agenda.

Environmental Pollution↗

PubMed2005

HIV vaccine efficacy trial participation: men who have sex with men's experiences of risk reduction counselling and perceptions of risk behaviour change.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 35 men who have sex with men, enrolled in the world's first phase III HIV vaccine efficacy trial at five US sites, regarding their risk reduction counselling experiences and their perceptions of its impact on risk behaviour. Respondents ranged in age from 20 to 58 years and were predominately white (71.4%) in racial/ethnic origin. Systematic qualitative analysis revealed that a positive counselling experience meant having good rapport with clinic staff. Differences in attitudes toward counselling were related to either a personal approach of balancing an enjoyable sex life with safe sex behaviours (balancing risks) or accepting the consequences of risky sexual behaviour rather than making changes (risk homeostasis). Respondents seeking to balance risks indicated that they saw themselves engaging in safer sexual behaviour almost twice as often as in riskier behaviours. They perceived counselling and behavioural risk assessments to help increase their awareness of personal risk-taking behaviours. Conversely, those with a risk homeostasis approach reported that they had established sexual boundaries prior to trial participation that had thus far proven to be effective in avoiding HIV infection, and that they were comfortable with the level of risk taken. Thus, risk reduction counselling had little to no influence on their sexual practices. Some of these men also indicated that while they had not found the risk reduction information imparted to them by clinic staff to be novel, counselling was beneficial in reinforcing their HIV/AIDS and safe sex knowledge base.

AIDS Vaccines↗

PubMed2004

'It might happen or it might not': how patients with multiple sclerosis explain their perception of prognostic risk.

This qualitative study aimed to examine risk perception and seriousness of wheelchair dependence in patients with multiple sclerosis. Perceived absolute risk and perceived seriousness were assessed for 2-year, 10-year and lifetime prognosis of wheelchair dependence using visual analogue scales (VAS). In semi-structured interviews, patients (n = 85) were asked to elucidate these VAS scores. Explaining perceived absolute risk, patients mentioned disease-related factors as well as psychological factors. Uncertainty about future disease progression was a predominant factor for all patients, even those with low and high perceptions of risk. Wheelchair dependence was perceived as a serious outcome primarily because of its possible implications, such as loss of independence. When perceptions of 2-year, 10-year and the lifetime prospect of wheelchair dependence were compared, it was found that patients discriminated in their perception of absolute risk, but less in that of seriousness. Comparison of quantitative and qualitative assessments indicated good construct validity for perception of the absolute risk and seriousness of wheelchair dependence.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The perception of flood risk and water nuisance.

In this paper we applied the psychometric paradigm to validate a questionnaire that assesses the risk perception characteristics of flooding and water nuisance. The state-trait anxiety inventory was used as a bench mark to determine whether perceptions are related to anxiety characteristics. A focus group was used to further validate the questionnaire. Factor analyses of 49 questionnaires identified eight flooding factors (explained variance 74%) and three water nuisance factors (explained variance 62%). Internal consistencies of the obtained scales were moderate to high. Like in the perception of external safety risks, "dread" seems to be the most important concept binding different characteristics. Although dread towards both flooding and water nuisance is rather low, it seems more present in the latter case. Furthermore, the extent of dread for water nuisance seems related to someone's state anxiety. In both cases awareness of "increasing risks" is clearly present, and we find the characteristics "(no) dread", "(un)controllable situation" and "does not affect me" to be related.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2005

Perception of mobile phone and base station risks.

Perceptions of risks associated with mobile phones, base stations, and other sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF) were examined. Data from a telephone survey conducted in the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland are presented (N = 1,015). Participants assessed both risks and benefits associated with nine different sources of EMF. Trust in the authorities regulating these hazards was assessed as well. In addition, participants answered a set of questions related to attitudes toward EMF and toward mobile phone base stations. According to respondents' assessments, high-voltage transmission lines are the most risky source of EMF. Mobile phones and mobile phone base stations received lower risk ratings. Results showed that trust in authorities was positively associated with perceived benefits and negatively associated with perceived risks. People who use their mobile phones frequently perceived lower risks and higher benefits than people who use their mobile phones infrequently. People who believed they lived close to a base station did not significantly differ in their level of risks associated with mobile phone base stations from people who did not believe they lived close to a base station. Regarding risk regulation, a majority of participants were in favor of fixing limiting values based on the worst-case scenario. Correlations suggest that belief in paranormal phenomena is related to level of perceived risks associated with EMF. Furthermore, people who believed that most chemical substances cause cancer also worried more about EMF than people who did not believe that chemical substances are that harmful. Practical implications of the results are discussed.

Attitude↗

PubMed2000

Consumer perception and understanding of risk from food.

The study of risk perception has been punctuated with controversy, conflict and paradigm shifts. Despite more than three decades of research, understanding of risk assessment remains fragmented and incoherent. Until recently, food and eating has been viewed as a low-risk activity and perceived risk surrounded matters of hygiene or lack of food. Consequently, theories of risk have been constructed with reference to environmental and technological hazards, such as nuclear power, whilst neglecting food issues. However, following a decade of 'food scares', attention has moved towards the study of food risk. Within this, food risk research has focused almost exclusively upon attempting to explain the divergence of opinion that exists between experts and the lay public whilst neglecting to address it. The following discussion provides a brief historical overview of theories and approaches that have been applied to the study of risk perception, continues with a summary of findings derived from food risk research and concludes with a discussion of methodological issues and some projections for future research.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Perceptions of cardiovascular risk among patients with hypertension or diabetes.

We aimed to examine risk perceptions among patients at moderate to high cardiovascular risk. A questionnaire about perceived absolute risk of myocardial infarction and stroke was sent to 2424 patients with hypertension or diabetes. Response rate was 86.3% and 1557 patients without atherosclerotic disease were included. Actual cardiovascular risk was calculated by using Framingham risk functions. A total of 363 (23.3%) of the 1557 patients did not provide any risk estimates and these were particularly older patients, patients with a lower educational level, and patients reporting no alcohol consumption. The remaining 1194 patients tended to overestimate their risk. In 42.3% (497/1174) and 46.8% (541/1155) of the cases, patients overestimated their actual 10-year risk for myocardial infarction and stroke, respectively, by more than 20%. Older age, smoking, familial history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and actual absolute risk predicted higher levels of perceived absolute risk. Male sex, higher scores for an internal health locus of control, lower scores for a physician locus of control, and self-rated excellent or (very) good health were positively related to higher accuracy. In conclusion, patients showed inadequate perceptions of their absolute risk of cardiovascular events and physicians should thus provide greater information about absolute risk when offering preventive therapy.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Preventing occupational injuries: women's perception of risk from musculoskeletal exposures.

Perception of injury risk is associated with an individual's propensity to act. This study examined the relationship between women's demographic, occupational, and risk characteristics, and health and occupational stressors as predictors of their perceptions of injury risk to self and other women from occupational musculoskeletal exposures. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of women who were employed in the 12 months prior to survey administration (N = 123, 27% response rate). A telephone survey consisting of 154 items was administered in English or Spanish. For the perception of injury risk to self, the final multiple regression equation explained approximately 66% of the variance with significant unique contributions identified for bodily pain, occupational exposure to repeated strenuous physical activity or repetitive hand motion, perceived seriousness and controllability of the risk, and perception of risk to other women. Similarly, for perception of injury risk to other women, the final multiple regression equation explained approximately 57% of the variance with significant unique contributions identified for household size, occupational exposure to repetitive hand motion, familiarity of the risk, and perception of injury risk to self. Exposure experiences and risk characteristics were found to increase women's perceptions of risk from occupational musculoskeletal exposures.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Perception of risk and sexual self-protective behavior: a methodological critique.

Although several theories suggest that perceptions of the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, motivate individuals to adopt or maintain self-protective behaviors, the research literature has generally failed to demonstrate this relationship. Because many HIV prevention interventions are based on the presumption of this relationship and because there is support for the effects of risk perception on self-protective behaviors in other health domains, a closer examination of the research concerning HIV risk perception is warranted. Therefore, a critical review of methodological features of research in this area was conducted. Issues considered were measurement; research design; the distinctive characteristics of HIV risk; the sexual and social nature of HIV transmission; and ecological, construct, and statistical conclusion validity. Methodological and design recommendations were made for testing the effects of HIV risk perception more adequately.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies: women's perception of risk.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the perception of risk of women with complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies and to determine the relationship between biomedical, psychosocial, and demographic risk factors and women's personal perceptions of pregnancy risk. DESIGN: A descriptive, correlational study. SETTING: Antenatal units and outpatient clinics of two tertiary care teaching hospitals in western Canada. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 105 women having a complicated pregnancy requiring hospitalization for more than 48 hours and 103 women with no known complications and no hospitalization during the pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Perception of risk during pregnancy. RESULTS: Women with complicated pregnancies perceived their overall risk and risk for specific pregnancy outcomes as significantly higher than women with uncomplicated pregnancies. State anxiety and biomedical risk were positively related to perception of risk, but there was no relationship between stress, self-esteem, or social support and perception of risk. The strongest predictors of self-perception of pregnancy risk were the biomedical risk score and state anxiety. CONCLUSION: Women with complicated pregnancies perceive their risks as higher than women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Both biomedical and psychosocial factors play a role in influencing risk perception. Nursing assessment of the pregnant woman should include discussion with her of her perception of risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Public perception of the risk of blood transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Health policymakers are concerned about the proportion of people who say they are unwilling to receive a blood transfusion. This article examines how social, cultural, and political factors affect the perceived risk of transfusions. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected as part of a large national telephone survey of 1204 people conducted in the United States in 1997 and 1998. The survey elicited images associated with blood transfusions and contained questions about the perceived risk of the blood supply, sensitivity to stigma, world views, trust, and demographics. RESULTS: The results showed that a substantial proportion of people do not consider the US blood supply to be safe and say they would not accept blood if hospitalized. The images evoked most frequently by the stimulus phrase "blood transfusions" were related to AIDS or HIV. The people who tend to perceive the greatest personal and public risk from blood transfusions are female, nonwhite, and less educated, and they have not previously received a transfusion. Sensitivity to stigma, mistrust, one's perceived inability to control hazardous activities and technologies, and fatalistic and egalitarian world views tend to be associated with heightened concern about the risk of blood transfusions. CONCLUSION: Risk perceptions need to be monitored to anticipate and deal with problems of public acceptance. Risk management strategies should be tailored to the specific characteristics of individuals that are important determinants of the perceived risk of transfusions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1992

Attitudes, perceptions, and risk-taking behaviors of smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers.

A sample of American adults completed questionnaires relevant to cigarette smoking. The questions were related to three areas: risk, perceptions of their or others' smoking, and satisfaction with life and health. The results revealed that smokers were greater risk-takers, that they perceived their smoking to be due to both physical and psychological addictions, and that they expressed less satisfaction and control. Results also indicated that smokers who saw their smoking as being addictive tended to be less satisfied with their health and felt less control over their lives. On the other hand, those smokers who were more likely to deny the health risks did not differ from either non- or ex-smokers on any of the satisfaction or control questions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Perception of alcoholism risk in health workers: medical role in prevention and surveillance].

According to Italian laws (legge 125/01, art. 15, comma 1) about safety on workplaces, it's forbidden alcohol drinking and taking for health workers (art. 8, comma 6, legge 5/06/2003 number 131) (e.g. anaesthesiology, surgery, radiology, nursing etc.). National alcoholism risk prevention program to assess number for year of accidents in health workplaces, is actually in progress leaded by Health Minister and Regional administration (e.g. Tuscany). Particularly, prevention program acts consist in comprehensive informations for health workers and their co- workers, about prevention and identification of alcoholism- related risks. To assess the size of alcohol problems in health workplaces, Occupational Health Medicine Institute of Second University of Naples is going to enrol 500 subjects (200 nursing students, 200 Specialist Registrars of different areas, 100 Consultants). Actually our population consists in 160 Specialist Registrars of different medical subjects (surgery, clinical and laboratory). To verify the importance of alcoholism risk perception, a not validated questionnaire was administrated. This original assessing instrument consists in 23 items with closed answers about demographic information, university, career, lifestyle, knowledge about rules taking alcoholic drinks. Results show a dangerous lack of information about alcohol health effects, even in Medical Specialist Registrars.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed2005

Patients' resistance to risk information in genetic counseling for BRCA1/2.

BACKGROUND: Risk information from health care providers is relevant to and used in nearly all medical decisions. Patients often misunderstand their risks, yet little is known about the risk perception that patients derive from risk communications with health care providers. This study examines patients' risk perceptions following communication with health care providers during genetic counseling about the risks of breast cancer and BRCA1/2 mutations. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted from October 2002 to February 2004 of women who received genetic counseling. The women completed a survey before their counseling and a telephone interview in the week after the counseling. Main outcome measures included change from precounseling in risk perception and accuracy of postcounseling risk perception (relative to actual risk information communicated). RESULTS: A total of 108 women agreed to participate in the study. The women's postcounseling risk perceptions were significantly lower than their precounseling risk perceptions (breast cancer: 17%, P<.001; mutation: 13%, P<.001) but were significantly higher than the actual risk information communicated (breast cancer: 19%, P<.001; mutation: 24%, P<.001). Accuracy of breast cancer risk perception but not mutation risk perception was associated with precounseling worry (P = .04), even after adjusting for trait anxiety (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates patients' resistance to risk information. Inappropriately high risk perception derived from a risk communication with a health care provider can lead patients to make different, and potentially worse, medical decisions than they would with an accurate risk perception and to be unnecessarily distressed about their risk.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed2004

Risk taking in adolescence: what changes, and why?

Extant studies of age differences in cognitive processes relevant to risk taking and decision making, such as risk perception and risk appraisal, indicate few significant age differences in factors that might explain why adolescents engage in more risk taking than adults. The present analysis suggests that the greater propensity of adolescents to take risks is not due to age differences in risk perception or appraisal, but to age differences in psychosocial factors that influence self-regulation. It is argued that adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability to risk taking because of a disjunction between novelty and sensation seeking (both of which increase dramatically at puberty) and the development of self-regulatory competence (which does not fully mature until early adulthood). This disjunction is biologically driven, normative, and unlikely to be remedied through educational interventions designed to change adolescents' perception, appraisal, or understanding of risk. Interventions should begin from the premise that adolescents are inherently more likely than adults to take risks, and should focus on reducing the harm associated with risk-taking behavior.

Adolescent↗