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Results for “Risk perception”

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PubMedDate not supplied

Self-esteem, gender, and alcohol use: relationships with HIV risk perception and behaviors in college students.

The present study examined the confluence of alcohol use and self-esteem on risky sexual behavior and perceptions of risk for female and male college students. It was predicted that higher levels of self-esteem, female gender, and lower alcohol consumption would be associated with greater condom use and lower perceptions of risk for self and partner. Results indicated that for low drinking students, those with high self-esteem reported greater condom use. In addition, low rates of alcohol use were associated with greater frequency of past condom use. Women and students low in self-esteem indicated greater perceptions of risk for themselves and their partners. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for developing interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The influence of maternity units' intrapartum intervention rates and midwives' risk perception for women suitable for midwifery-led care.

OBJECTIVE: to test the hypothesis that midwives working in higher intervention units would have a higher perception of risk for the intrapartum care of women suitable for midwifery-led care than midwives working in lower intervention units. METHODS: an initial retrospective analysis of the computerised records of 9887 healthy Caucasian women in spontaneous labour enabled the categorisation of 11 units as either 'lower intrapartum intervention' or 'higher intrapartum intervention' units. A survey of the midwives involved in intrapartum care in these 11 units, using standardised scenario questionnaires, was used to investigate midwives' options for intrapartum interventions, their perceptions of intrapartum risk and the accuracy of these perceptions in the light of actual maternity outcomes. FINDINGS: midwives working in maternity units that had a higher level of intervention generally perceived intrapartum risks to be higher than midwives working in lower intervention units. However, midwives generally underestimated the ability of women to progress normally and overestimated the advantages of technological interventions, in particular epidural analgesia. CONCLUSIONS: variations in intrapartum care cannot be solely explained by the characteristics of the women. The influence of the workplace culture plays a significant role in shaping midwives' perceptions of risk, but it seems even more likely that the medicalisation of childbirth has had an influence on midwives' appreciation of intrapartum risks. Intervention rates for low-risk births are often higher than recommended by research. The level of interventions varies across hospitals and higher rates are associated with higher perception of risk by midwives. Attention needs to be given to the influence the workplace plays in shaping midwives' perception of risk; and to the effect of organisational culture on intervention rates.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Oral cancer risk perception among participants in an oral cancer screening program.

Oral cancer screening provides an opportunity for early detection and for education to high-risk tobacco and alcohol users. To plan interventions that would motivate oral cancer screening and risk reduction, we surveyed oral cancer risk perception and risk behaviors among participants in a free oral-cancer screening. Participants (N = 803) were racially diverse; 43% had a history of smoking and 9%, a history of alcohol abuse. Current smokers and those with higher lifetime tobacco exposure perceived themselves to be at higher risk for cancer than nonsmokers or those with less lifetime tobacco exposure (all ps, <0.01). Alcohol use was unrelated to oral cancer risk perception (p > 0.05). Compared with women, men (p = 0.01) felt more at risk; compared with other racial groups, Asians (p < 0.05) felt less at risk. Demographic differences were explained by differences in risk behaviors. Current smoking status (beta, 0.196; p < 0.001) and level of tobacco exposure (beta, 0.100; p < 0.05) were the only significant independent predictors of heightened risk perception (R(2) = 0.09). Those with alcohol abuse histories, and older smokers, may need increased education. These findings support the need for health education materials that incorporate the oral cancer risk perception of high-risk individuals.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Risk perception and impulsivity: association with risky behaviors and substance abuse disorders.

Low risk perception and high impulsivity, in conjunction with substance abuse disorders, are associated with the occurrence of injury in the general population. The study described in this article investigated the association of risk perception and impulsivity with risky behaviors (infrequent seat belt use, drinking and driving, riding with a drunk driver, binge drinking, and speeding for the thrill) among adults with unintentional blunt trauma. Patients (N = 756) were assessed for substance abuse disorders and participation in risky behaviors. Risk perception and impulsivity were measured by questionnaire. Pearson's chi-square statistic was used to investigate risk perception, impulsivity, substance abuse, and possible confounders relative to risky behaviors. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression methodology. Univariate results indicated that low risk perception and high impulsivity were significant risk factors for risky behaviors. After adjustment for confounding factors, low risk perception and high impulsivity remained significantly associated with risky behaviors in the trauma patient population.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Health-risk perception in the inner city community of Centro Habana, Cuba.

Perceptions of health risks were surveyed in the inner city of Centro Habana, Cuba. A questionnaire developed by community leaders and experts was administered to 348 residents to determine the level of perceived risk for each of 41 risk items. Ecologic-level data on morbidity, mortality, and environmental indicators were also gathered. Using factor analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data, five factor groupings accounted for 60% of the variance, as follows: social environment (40.8%); infectious agents and other health-risk factors of immediate concern (6.1%); lifestyle risks (4. 9%); environmental sanitation (4.1%); and living conditions (3.3%). A relationship between the perception of risk and the ecologic data was found, with inconsistencies largely attributable to factors known to influence risk perception. The greatest concern identified throughout the municipality was housing conditions, highest in the neighborhood that had already begun to address this problem. The analysis was useful in planning targeted health promotion campaigns and prioritizing further interventions. Repeat evaluation of risk perception will be conducted following the completion of interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Specifying factors in radiation risk perception.

This is a study of risk perception and a test of a model of perceived risk. A scale measuring fear was factor analyzed and the resulting five fear factors were related to a large number of risk dimensions, both personal and general. Fear was only rather weakly related to perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived risk of two ionizing radiation hazards (nuclear power, X-rays) were investigated in more detail. These risk ratings were modelled on the basis of attitude, risk sensitivity, specific perceived risk of radiation, trust and an extended version of the traditional Psychometric Model, enhanced by the introduction of a factor of Tampering with Nature. It was found that risk perception could be well explained with this approach and the importance of Tampering with Nature, as well as specific perceived risk, were stressed.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2006

Absolute and comparative risk perceptions as predictors of cancer worry: moderating effects of gender and psychological distress.

Risk perceptions for cancer measured on absolute scales (e.g., "What is the likelihood that you will get cancer?") and on comparative scales (e.g., "How does your risk compare with that of someone similar to you?") are independently associated with worry about cancer. We examined this finding in a large sample across several types of cancer, and explored whether these relationships are moderated by three clinically relevant variables-gender, levels of psychological distress, and cancer experience. Participants were respondents in a national survey who reported risk perceptions and worry regarding colon cancer (923 men, 1,532 women), breast cancer (2,154 women), and prostate cancer (860 men), and completed a validated measure of psychological distress. Analyses showed that absolute and comparative risk perceptions were independent predictors of worry across all cancer sites, but that absolute risk perceptions were significantly more predictive than comparative risk perceptions of worry for women (but not men). Among people who were more highly distressed, comparative risk perceptions were the only significant predictor of worry. Absolute risk and comparative risk were equally predictive of cancer worry among people who previously had been diagnosed with cancer. These findings imply that interventions highlighting the communication of comparative risk information may be differentially effective depending on the audience.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The impact of item order on ratings of cancer risk perception.

Although perceived risk is central to most theories of health behavior, there is little consensus on its measurement with regard to item wording, response set, or the number of items to include. In a methodological assessment of perceived risk, we assessed the impact of changing the order of three commonly used perceived risk items: quantitative personal risk, quantitative population risk, and comparative risk. Participants were 432 men and women enrolled in an ancillary study of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Three groups of consecutively enrolled participants responded to the three items in one of three question orders. Results indicated that item order was related to the perceived risk ratings of both ovarian (P < 0.05) and colorectal (P < 0.05) cancers. Perceptions of risk were significantly lower when the comparative rating was made first. The findings suggest that compelling participants to consider their own risk relative to the risk of others results in lower ratings of perceived risk. Although the use of multiple items may provide more information than when only a single method is used, different conclusions may be reached depending on the context in which an item is assessed.

Age Distribution↗

PubMedDate not supplied

AIDS-related risk perception and sexual behaviour among sexually transmitted disease clinic attenders.

Perception of risk has been suggested as an important element of sexual behaviour change among people who engage in behaviours which place them at risk of HIV infection. A study of the relationship between perception of risk of HIV infection and risk-related sexual behaviours was conducted in a genitourinary medicine clinic. The sample comprised 767 patients attending over a 3-month period; data collection was by self-completed questionnaire. A total of 574 questionnaires were suitable for analysis, representing a response rate of 75%. The majority of people in the sample reported behaviours which increased their risk of HIV infection, but only 19% (n = 112) of the sample perceived themselves to be personally 'at risk', despite adequate knowledge of HIV transmission and methods of risk reduction. Significant differences between social class groups were found for knowledge scores, with highest scores among professionals and lowest among unemployed subjects (Kruskal Wallis test chi 2 = 24.6, P less than or equal to 0.001). Increasing age was significantly associated with better knowledge; significantly more young people aged 16-20 years who did not perceive themselves 'at risk' (64%), had lower knowledge scores than older people who did not perceive themselves 'at risk' (41%). Among heterosexuals who reported having sex with other people in addition to their regular partner, 79% did not perceive themselves as 'at risk' of HIV infection, and of these, 64% reported only infrequent condom use with casual sexual partners. Significantly more heterosexual men (67%) than women (44%) reported multiple sex partners.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2005

Demographic and psychosocial factors associated with risk perception for breast cancer.

The objective of this study was to investigate, in a female population-based sample, specific demographic and psychosocial predictors of perception of risk for female breast cancer. The study was a cross-sectional survey of 7135 healthy women ranging from 15 to 85 years. A questionnaire assessed the perceived risk for breast cancer in 6 German centers. Specified awareness was personal knowledge in relation to breast cancer incidence, risk factors, perception, and level of concern. An awareness score was defined and related to values of several risk factors. Generally, 78.1% of women were aware of breast cancer. However, only one-third (31.2%) of women estimated the incidence of breast cancer correctly; 52% recognized age, 33.9% recognized hormonal contraceptives, and 34.1% recognized hormonal replacement therapy as factors of breast cancer risk. The most frequent specified sources of information were gynecologists (48.4%). The awareness score of women informed by gynecologists was significantly better compared to women informed by other healthcare professionals. However, a statistically significant improvement of the awareness score was reached for women with a higher educational level, information seeking by TV, radio, printed sources, medical books and healthcare flyers. Recommendations for improvement of cancer prevention programs include targeting comprehension regarding the lifetime risk of breast cancer, age as a risk factor, survival from breast cancer and hormonal factors. According to these results, there is an urgent need to separately address the perceptions of women, depending on age, social status and educational level.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Are received risk perception models alive and well?

Two recent papers on risk perception models are discussed. In these papers, quantitative analyses are presented of risk perception in relation to risk characteristics as specified in the Psychometric Model, and to cultural biases according to Cultural Theory. This comment points out that the data quality of these two studies is doubtful, with a very small convenience sample and a very low response rate. More importantly, the analyses show the same low levels of explained variance of risk perception as other researchers have found previously, but the authors still draw optimistic conclusions from their data. Such conclusions are unjustified.

Culture↗

PubMed1999

The impact of genetic counselling on risk perception and mental health in women with a family history of breast cancer.

The present study investigated: (1) perception of genetic risk and, (2) the psychological effects of genetic counselling in women with a family history of breast cancer. Using a prospective design, with assessment pre- and post-genetic counselling at clinics and by postal follow-up at 1, 6 and 12 months, attenders at four South London genetic clinics were assessed. Participants included 282 women with a family history of breast cancer. Outcome was measured in terms of mental health, cancer-specific distress and risk perception. High levels of cancer-specific distress were found pre-genetic counselling, with 28% of participants reporting that they worried about breast cancer 'frequently or constantly' and 18% that worry about breast cancer was 'a severe or definite problem'. Following genetic counselling, levels of cancer-specific distress were unchanged. General mental health remained unchanged over time (33% psychiatric cases detected pre-genetic counselling, 27% at 12 months after genetic counselling). Prior to their genetics consultation, participants showed poor knowledge of their lifetime risk of breast cancer since there was no association between their perceived lifetime risk (when they were asked to express this as a 1 in x odds ratio) and their actual risk, when the latter was calculated by the geneticist at the clinic using the CASH model. In contrast, women were more accurate about their risk of breast cancer pre-genetic counselling when this was assessed in broad categorical terms (i.e. very much lower/very much higher than the average woman) with a significant association between this rating and the subsequently calculated CASH risk figure (P = 0.001). Genetic counselling produced a modest shift in the accuracy of perceived lifetime risk, expressed as an odds ratio, which was maintained at 12 months' follow-up. A significant minority failed to benefit from genetic counselling; 77 women continued to over-estimate their risk and maintain high levels of cancer-related worry. Most clinic attenders were inaccurate in their estimates of the population risk of breast cancer with only 24% able to give the correct figure prior to genetic counselling and 36% over-estimating this risk. There was some improvement following genetic counselling with 62% able to give the correct figure, but this information was poorly retained and this figure had dropped to 34% by the 1-year follow-up. The study showed that women attending for genetic counselling are worried about breast cancer, with 34% indicating that they had initiated the referral to the genetic clinic themselves. This anxiety is not alleviated by genetic counselling, although women reported that it was less of a problem at follow-up. Women who continue to over-estimate their risk and worry about breast cancer are likely to go on seeking unnecessary screening if they are not reassured.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Predictors of risk perceptions of childhood injury among parents of preschoolers.

This article assesses the relationship between parents' perceived risk of childhood injuries and familial, sociocultural, and situational variables. Data were obtained through a random digit dial telephone survey of 1,200 households with a preschool child in a southeastern metropolitan area. Perceived risks of childhood injury measures were based on social science theory and childhood injury epidemiology. Multiple item measures included dimensions of seriousness and likelihood for both injuries and hazards. When risk perceptions were viewed as individual items, parents underestimated the risk of some hazards and injuries and overestimated the risks of others, and parents whose children have sustained a recent injury had higher risk perception overall. When risk perceptions were viewed as summed scales, sociodemographic variables and parental safety behaviors were not significant predictors. Sociocultural factors of having a child previously injured, the parent reporting stress, having a household with self-reported risk factors, and the perception of the child as active and hard to manage are related to summed scales of risk perceptions, with some interactions by race of the parent. Findings illustrate the role of situational and sociocultural characteristics of respondents in risk perception research.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1996

A taxonomy for lay risk perceptions of dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to develop and organize a set of variables that can be used to: (1) test the widely held but unproven assumption that lay risk perceptions can adversely affect dental care, (2) investigate the possible influence of lay risk perceptions on dental care and (3) permit the evaluation of risk communication strategies in dentistry. METHODS: We reviewed the literature regarding risk perception and risk communication in health care and technology. We then selected a set of variables that could be measured in a study of the general public and organized these in a taxonomy to suggest likely relationships among the variables. RESULTS: The central relationship of the proposed taxonomy is between a lay person's perception of dental risk and a set of measurable outcomes that could affect that person's dental care. The taxonomy lists three possible influences on the lay person's risk perception: attributes of the individual, attributes of the dental procedure or technology perceived as risky, and attributes of the dental practice. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic testing of the proposed variables should demonstrate whether lay risk perceptions substantially influence dental care, and if so, which factors most strongly influence risk perceptions. A model of lay risk perceptions of dentistry then could be developed and strategies could be devised to minimize the detriment, if any, to dental care from risk perception.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2002

[Risk and risk perception].

After having delineated the concept of risk and having described the type of risks that are relevant to dental practice, an overview of empirical and theoretical work on risk perception is given. The perception of risks is determined both by the actual magnitude and by perceptual bias, originating from either general perceptual phenomena such as (cognitive) availability or the ego-relevance of risks: persons in general underestimate risks for themselves as compared to the risks for others (unrealistic optimism).

Dentistry↗

PubMed2006

Managing risk: risk perception, trust and control in a Primary Care Partnership.

In this article, managers' perceptions of risk on entering a newly formed primary health care partnership are explored, as are the mechanisms of trust and control used to manage them. The article reports a qualitative component of a 2-year National Health and Medical Research Council funded study of trust within the structures of a Primary Care Partnership (PCP) in Victoria, Australia. Multiple methods of data collection were employed. We found that managers identified risks at system, partnership and agency levels, and that as trust was built, concern about risks diminished. Trust effectively facilitated joint action, but it was betrayed on occasions, in which case the informal power of group process was used to contain the problems. The implications of this study for policy makers are in terms of understanding how perceptions of risk are constructed, the ways managers use social control to create a safer context in which to locate the trust-based relationships that facilitate joint action, and the importance of institutional arrangements. Without trust, joint action is hard to achieve, and without control, it is difficult to prevent breaches of trust from inhibiting joint action.

Group Practice↗

PubMed2003

Benefit and risk perceptions in transfusion medicine: blood and blood substitutes.

Blood transfusion is a remarkably safe, routine procedure in clinical medicine. However, little attention has focused on the perceptions of risk associated with the receipt of blood, blood products or 'blood substitutes'. It is pertinent to ask (i) what key stakeholder groups know about transfusion, (ii) how safe they perceive blood/blood products to be, (iii) how the latter information might influence their own and others' perceptions of risk linked to transfusion, and (iv) the extent to which approved blood substitutes might be preferred over autologous or donor blood. An appreciation of what stakeholders perceive to be the benefits and risks of the receipt of blood and blood substitutes will inform future transfusion strategies. To obtain such information, a programme of research has been initiated at Nottingham. Surveys have targeted key stakeholder groups, namely, UK adult blood donors and nondonors, anaesthetists, general practitioners and health care journalists. Experimental studies examining message framing and cueing have also been conducted with undergraduate students. Such research will improve misunderstandings about current issues associated with blood donation and transfusion against the backdrop of changing public trust of health care professionals and attitudes and expectations on blood safety and benefits of blood substitutes.

Attitude↗

PubMed1998

AIDS risk perception among women drug users in Hartford, CT.

This paper reports the findings of a study of congruence between AIDS risk perception and risk behavior in a sample of outreach-recruited out-of-treatment injection and non-injection crack cocaine using women in Hartford, CT. While rates of drug- and sex-related AIDS risk were high in this sample, perception of risk was low among many of the respondents. Variation in risk perception reflects sociodemographic differences in the sample, with those women who were most socially isolated exhibiting the greatest incongruence between personal risk and risk perception. Women who have had contact with health or social service programs were the most likely to report reductions in risk behavior.

Adult↗