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PubMed1998

Information and risk perception: a dynamic adjustment process.

It is common in catastrophic food-contamination events that consumers fail to adjust instantaneously to a normal consumption level. One explanation is that consumers only gradually accept new positive information as being trustworthy. The gradual establishment of the trustworthiness of the released information depends on both positive and negative media coverage over time. We examine the individual "trust" effects by extending the prospective reference theory (Viscusi, 1989) to include a dynamic adjustment process of risk perception. Conditions that allow aggregation of changes in risk perceptions across individuals are described. The proposed model describes a general updating process of risk perceptions to media coverage and can be applied to explain the temporal impact of media coverage on consumption of a broad range of goods (food or nonfood). A case study of milk contamination is conducted to demonstrate consumer demand adjustment process to a temporarily unfavorable shock. The results suggest that effects of positive and negative information to adjustment of consumption and risk perception are asymmetric over time.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Risk perception and the location of a repository for spent nuclear fuel.

This study investigates lay people's reactions to a repository for nuclear waste. Risk perception is seen as a complex concept, comprising both affective and cognitive components. Attitude towards nuclear power and trust in experts and authorities had a substantial impact on risk perception, while personal knowledge about nuclear waste disposal had no effect. Thus, the more positive one's attitude towards nuclear power is and the more trust one has in experts and authorities, the lower one's risk perception is. Also, reactions were expected to vary with distance between the home district and the location of a repository. These variations differed in nature for people with alternative levels of risk judgement. The distance between the home and a repository affected approval of the proposed site. Distance between home and repository also had an effect on risk feelings and somewhat less on beliefs about consequences. Estimated total risk was directly mediated by beliefs about consequences, but even more so by risk feelings. With regard to risk, one can conclude that it is important to make a distinction between an emotional and a cognitive component of risk perception.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Individual, family, and relationship predictors of young women's sexual risk perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the individual, dyad, and family variables that influence young women's perceptions of risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone survey using forced-choice questioning. Data were analyzed using first-order correlations and logistic regression. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a mid-Atlantic study of young adults and from volunteers at a mid-Atlantic university and surrounding community. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 93 sexually active, unmarried, heterosexual women, ages 17-26 years. The majority of the study sample was white. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Respondents were asked to estimate their own level of risk for STDs, including HIV, using the responses no, low, moderate, and high risk. Responses were later recoded into no risk versus some risk. RESULTS: Communication with parents about sexual risk decreased the odds that women would see themselves as being at no risk. Consistent condom use, relationship satisfaction, and perceiving the partner as no risk increased the odds that women would believe they were at no risk. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses can incorporate these and other study findings into the design of sexual risk reduction programs. Programs that enhance parent-teen communication about sexual risks and assist young women to examine their perceptions of their partners may be more effective than programs that provide information only.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

A qualitative investigation of vaccine risk perception amongst parents who immunize their children: a matter of public health concern.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about risk perception amongst parents who have their children immunized, as opposed to those who do not. Our objective was to assess their vaccine risk perception and thereby to identify strategies to prevent further deterioration in uptake. METHODS: An in-depth interview study was conducted with parents in two nurseries, one urban and one rural in Norfolk, together with a pilot study. All their children were fully immunized. Topics related to parents' vaccine risk perceptions. RESULTS: Certain known risk characteristics were attributable to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, including feeling of dread, lack of control and doubt in scientific knowledge. Furthermore, this study re-emphasizes that parents lack trust in government agencies and may have doubts in the medical profession as the 'managers' of vaccine risk. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlighted an urgent need to address concerns amongst parents who immunize, to prevent them changing their practice in the face of further vaccine controversies.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Dead reckoning: demographic determinants of the accuracy of mortality risk perceptions.

General patterns of bias in risk beliefs are well established in the literature, but much less is known about how these biases vary across the population. Using a sample of almost 500 people, the regression analysis in this article yields results consistent with the well-established pattern that small risks are overassessed and large risks are underassessed. The accuracy of these risk beliefs varies across demographic factors, as does the switch point at which people go from underassessment to overassessment, which we found to be 1500 deaths annually for the full sample. Better educated people have more accurate risk beliefs, and there are important differences in the risk perception by race and gender that also may be of policy interest.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Knowledge, risk perceptions and condom usage in male sex workers from three Australian cities.

The study identifies factors associated with knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS, as well as attitudes to and usage of condoms by a sample of male sex workers (MSW). One hundred and eighty-five male sex workers completed a self-reported questionnaire, including knowledge about HIV transmission, attitudes to condom use and perceptions and personal susceptibility to HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk, and a two-week diary recording use of condom during commercial sex encounters. The findings reveal that condom use was found in 77.7% of the encounters with clients and the majority of the respondents perceived themselves to be at no risk for HIV because of sex work. Independent sex workers from Melbourne and workers who owned their place of residence used condoms in a significant lower proportion. Generally speaking, knowledge about the risks associated with AIDS was high, with respondents showing lower knowledge about the risks associated with unprotected receptive or active oral sex. Participants held a positive attitude to condom use; most considered the provisions of condoms to be their responsibility rather than clients; and they were more worried about contracting an STI than HIV. Those who scored higher on the knowledge scale had more positive attitudes to condom use and those who had a more positive attitude to condom use recorded a perceived lower risk of contracting STI but not HIV. The study discusses the relevance of these findings for public health risk reduction and sexual health education campaigns.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Traffic accident statistics and risk perceptions in Japan and the United States.

Several recent studies have concluded that Japan and the US have different risk cultures. This study examines the actual risk environments faced by citizens in the two countries, in the domain of traffic safety, as a possible source of differences in risk perceptions. The study contrasts traffic-accident risks from several points of view (e.g. car drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians) and risk statistics (e.g. death rates, relative fatality risks, and accident lethality). Results clarify the traffic risks in the two countries and confirm their potential for explaining cross-national differences in risk perceptions.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed1998

A quantitative test of the cultural theory of risk perceptions: comparison with the psychometric paradigm.

This paper seeks to compare two frameworks which have been proposed to explain risk perceptions, namely, cultural theory and the psychometric paradigm. A structured questionnaire which incorporated elements from both approaches was administered to 129 residents of Norwich, England. The qualitative risk characteristics generated by the psychometric paradigm explained a far greater proportion of the variance in risk perceptions than cultural biases, though it should be borne in mind that the qualitative characteristics refer directly to risks whereas cultural biases are much more distant variables. Correlations between cultural biases and risk perceptions were very low, but the key point was that each cultural bias was associated with concern about distinct types of risks and that the pattern of responses was compatible with that predicted by cultural theory. The cultural approach also provided indicators for underlying beliefs regarding trust and the environment; beliefs which were consistent within each world view but divergent between them. An important drawback, however, was that the psychometric questionnaire could only allocate 32% of the respondents unequivocally to one of the four cultural types. The rest of the sample expressed several cultural biases simultaneously, or none at all. Cultural biases are therefore probably best interpreted as four extreme world views, and a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies would generate better insights into who might defend these views in what circumstances, whether there are only four mutually exclusive world views or not, and how these views are related to patterns of social solidarity, and judgments on institutional trust.

Culture↗

PubMed1987

Risk assessment, risk perception and decision making about courses of action involving genetic risk: an overview of concepts and methods.

Developments in medical diagnostics and shifts in the ethics of human reproduction increasingly present prospective parents with deliberate choice problems involving possible child deficiencies. An adequate handling of such problems may be supported by explicit methodologies for judging risks and making decisions under uncertainty. The paper gives an overview of concepts, models and methods concerning risk analysis, risk perception and "good" decision making. Several different (stimulus) definitions of risk are presented, and it is shown that "perceived risk" (a response-defined concept) may be operationally measured at different levels of an organism's activity. Disputes on the meaning of probability statements are related to differences in the available information basis which may result from a combination of frequentistic/nonfrequentistic data about, and external/internal determination of possible consequences. After a listing of various notions of "acceptable risk", three different approaches towards making good decisions are discussed. The paper concludes with a summary and some suggestions for the improvement of genetic counseling procedures.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2006

[Smoking risk perception: facts and questions].

Based on general concepts relating to risk perception, the authors summarize in this article today's knowledge of smoking risk perception. A pluridisciplinary approach (general internal medicine, public health and anthropology) allows an improved understanding of its complexity, its utility in every day clinical practice and of the questions still pending around its use and evaluation in research projects.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2003

Genetic counselling for cancer and risk perception.

The main aim was to investigate risk perception and psychological distress in individuals attending genetic counselling. A consecutive series of 86 individuals with a diagnosis and/or family history of breast, ovarian or colorectal cancer was included. Risk assessments were performed before and immediately after genetic counselling and at a one-year follow-up. Psychological distress was assessed 1 week before, and 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year after genetic counselling. The number of individuals who correctly-estimated the general risk in the population increased significantly from 35%, before to 82% after counselling (p < 0.001). One year later, data on general risk estimates showed a significant reduction of the number of correct estimations to 51%, compared with directly after the counselling (p < 0.005). In total, 54% estimated their own lifetime risk correctly after the counselling, compared with 17% before (p < 0.001) (those with a cancer diagnosis estimated the risk of their children developing cancer). One year later, the number of correct estimations had dropped to 28%. Before the counselling, the majority of the participants overestimated both the general risk and their own/children's risk. The participants experienced moderate levels of psychological distress before the counselling and a decrease of anxiety afterwards (p < 0.02). However, half of the participants reported moderate or high distress. There were no differences in psychological distress between those who estimated their risk/ children's risk as low, moderate or high or between those who over-, under- or correctly estimated their own/children's risk. Further investigations are needed to develop and adjust the risk information provided to the individual in order to avoid misunderstanding, especially as this information is going to be revealed to family members Counselling support should be offered to those individuals who experience psychological distress.

Anxiety↗

PubMed1993

Risk perception among nuclear power plant personnel: a survey.

This study investigated risk perception, well-being, and organizational commitment among nuclear power plant personnel. The study group, 428 employees from a nuclear power plant, completed a questionnaire which included the same questions as those in previous surveys on risk perception of lay persons and industrial workers. Hazards at work were not seen as a sizable problem by nuclear power plant personnel. The study group estimated the safety of nuclear power plants better and the possibility of serious nuclear accident as more unlikely than the general public. Compared to employees in other industrial companies, the overall perceived risks at work among plant personnel did not exceed the respective perceptions of the reference groups. Risk-related attitudes did not explain well-being among plant personnel, but the relationship between the perceived probability of a serious nuclear accident at work and organizational commitment yielded to a significant correlation: Those plant workers who estimated the likelihood of an accident higher were less committed to the organization.

Accidents, Occupational↗

PubMed2001

Risk perception and communication: recent developments and implications for anaesthesia.

This review begins by outlining the history of probability theory, exposing cultural differences between scientists and lay people in the way risks are viewed. The basic principles of the science of risk perception are described, and the various methods of communicating risk in health care, both verbal and numerical, are then discussed critically. These concepts are then applied to the practice of anaesthesia. Risk perception may affect anaesthetists' choice of career and may be involved in the genesis and evolution of critical incidents; we also discuss possibilities for training in risk perception issues. The place of risk communication in informed consent and its ethical implications are discussed.

Anesthesia↗

PubMed2000

Drug labeling and risk perceptions of teratogenicity: a survey of pregnant Canadian women and their health professionals.

There is a general perception that medicinal drugs are not safe in pregnancy despite the fact that fewer than 30 drugs have been shown to cause major malformations in humans. A large number of women need medications in pregnancy to treat pregnancy-induced conditions, acute illnesses, and chronic diseases. The objectives of this study were the following: (1) to characterize the perception of teratogenic risk by pregnant women and their partners and by health professionals and (2) to examine the most reassuring way to present data on a drug for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy that has been proven to be safe to the fetus. A convenience sample of pregnant Canadian women and their partners, pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and hospital workers were asked to choose the "safest" among four drugs by statements describing their safety. Although the text of all four was similar, the title and narrative were modified to be more or less "reassuring" by the use of more or less terms such as malformations and abnormalities. Health professionals rated the teratogenic risk significantly lower than the parents, but even they rated the drugs as not safe, despite a scientifically reassuring text. Sixty percent of the 240 participants, regardless of their perception of teratogenic risk, believed the four drugs were of similar risks. However, in the other 40%, the less "reassuring" text led to higher teratogenic perception, and the more reassuring options tended to decrease the false perception of teratogenic risk. It was concluded that in general, four different versions of reassuring text describing a scientifically proven safe drug in pregnancy did not lead expecting parents to believe they were safe. Among those who did not rank the four drugs as having equal safety/risk, the less "reassuring" text led to a higher perception of teratogenic risk. Even health professionals reading the labels describing safe drugs rated them as unsafe. Presently, the perception of teratogenic risk is strong even for safe drugs and is difficult to change even with evidence-based facts.

Drug Labeling↗

PubMed1991

Hostility to people with AIDS: risk perception and demographic factors.

The objectives of this investigation were to determine the associations between perception of AIDS risk, demographic and socio-economic variables and hostility to PWA's. Factor analysis and multiple regression models were used to examine telephone survey data. The principal results show a strong positive association between hostility to PWA's and perception of high AIDS risk from low-risk activities, and between hostility and: non-Hispanic respondents, low-income respondents, respondents with less than a high school education, male respondents and respondents living in rural areas. Conclusions speak for a need for understanding of the multiple outcomes of educational campaigns, pretesting of educational campaigns across multiple populations, and continued study of risk perception, hostility and the effects of stigmatization.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1991

Knowledge and risk perception among nuclear power plant employees.

This is a study of knowledge, risk perception, and attitudes among nuclear power plant employees. A total of 236 persons participated, belonging to 10 different professional groups and working at two Swedish power plants. Job-related radiation risks were judged about average as compared to a number of other risks. On the whole, the participants in the study were satisfied with the measures of safety at work, but there were some exceptions to this rule, especially among those hired for temporary jobs through external contractors. The experience of job-related radiation risks was related to the level of knowledge about radiation and its risks: those who knew less experienced larger risks. General level of anxiety did not correlate with risk perception. The latter was accounted for mainly by perceived radiation risks. Job satisfaction was more strongly related to perceived conventional job risks than to nuclear risks. Risk ratings were related to how subjects defined the concept of risk. Those who stressed consequences as part of their risk definition gave higher risk ratings.

Accidents↗

PubMed1998

Risk perception of alcohol consumption.

A review is given of general principles of risk perception, with some historical highlights of the field. It is pointed out that the risk target is of great importance (i.e., that personal risks are almost always perceived as smaller than risks to others). The implications of perceived personal and general risks are different, with general risks being more important for policy attitudes. The concepts needed to investigate risk perception are different, depending on what kind of risk is studied. Alcohol consumption risks give rise to uniquely strong risk denial, closely tied to control notions. Consumption of alcohol is found to be related to personal alcohol risk in a positive manner; the larger the consumption, the larger is the perceived risk. However, no such relationship is found for general risk. At the societal level, alcohol was the most common explanation that people gave for the prevalence of violence.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2006

Healthy women with a family history of breast cancer: impact of a tailored genetic counseling intervention on risk perception, knowledge, and menopausal therapy decision making.

BACKGROUND: Women with a family history of breast cancer have several menopausal therapy options, including tamoxifen, hormone therapy (HT), alternative medications, or no treatment. This complex decision should be based on each woman's risk to develop breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, preferences, and risks for other conditions. The authors determined the effects of a personalized risk assessment and genetic counseling intervention on knowledge, risk perception, and decision making in a group of healthy women who had a first-degree relative with breast cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight cancer-free menopausal women age > or =40 years who had at least one first-degree relative with breast cancer were randomized to a genetic counseling intervention or control. Intervention participants were given a personalized risk assessment for breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and uterine cancer based on family history and personal health data. Knowledge, risk perception, and medication usage were measured at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. RESULTS: Knowledge was higher in the intervention group at both follow-up time points postintervention. Perceived risk for developing breast cancer was significantly lower and more accurate in the intervention group at 1 and 6 months postintervention than at baseline, as was perceived risk of developing heart disease. Although the counseling intervention did affect both knowledge and risk perception, overall, both groups were reluctant to take any form of menopausal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: A personalized risk assessment and genetic counseling intervention improves patient knowledge and risk perception; however, it is unclear that the intervention influenced menopausal treatment decisions.

Adult↗