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Goebel M, Wardropper CB. Trust and subjective knowledge influence perceived risk of lead exposure. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:1204-1218. [PMID: 37658828 PMCID: PMC10907546 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Lead exposure is a persistent environmental hazard that poses risks to human health. But motivating protective action is challenging with this low visibility hazard whose health effects are often subtle and chronic. Higher risk perception is generally associated with taking protective measures, so public health efforts prioritize risk messaging. Yet, little is known about perceptions of lead exposure risk among the U.S. public. Using cross-sectional data from a national survey of 1035 U.S. residents, we measured the role of trust in government management of lead and subjective knowledge about lead as predictors of perceived risk of lead exposure, controlling for demographic and environmental factors. We also assessed if subjective knowledge moderated the relationship between trust and perceived risk. Our results reveal positive relationships between trust in government management of lead, subjective knowledge about lead, and risk perception, which we attribute in part to the important role government agencies play in secondary prevention, or communicating the risks of environmental lead exposure. We also found that younger people and people living in a house built before lead paint regulations passed in 1978 perceived higher lead risks. Our findings suggest that general communication about lead risks should aim to increase people's subjective knowledge in a consistent and balanced way that improves trust in government messengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Goebel
- National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Formerly, Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States
| | - Chloe B Wardropper
- Formerly, Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
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Almoayad F, Bin Sauib K, Alnasserallah H, Hzazzi R, Obaideen K, Aboul-Enein BH. Predicting individuals' preventive practices against Radon indoor exposure in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2024; 44:021503. [PMID: 38537265 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ad3836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, poses a significant public health risk. This study aimed to assess indoor radon exposure in Saudi Arabia using the health belief model (HBM) as a framework for understanding and influencing public behaviour regarding the prevention on indoor radon exposure.A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 803 participants from diverse backgrounds recruited through convenience sampling. The online questionnaire assessed sociodemographics, risk factors, and HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, barriers, benefits, seriousness, and self-efficacy). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS.Most participants showed neutral perceptions towards susceptibility, severity (82.7% each), benefits (85.2%), and barriers (59.7%) to preventive practices. Only 31.6% had high self-efficacy, with 16.4% practicing good prevention and 44.3% fair. Preventive practices correlated positively with perceived severity, benefits, and self-efficacy, but negatively with risk score and perceived barriers.The study highlights the need for improved radon prevention practices in Saudi Arabia, focusing on educational campaigns, self-efficacy enhancement, policy support for renters, and better risk communication. These measures are crucial for mitigating radon exposure risks across the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatmah Almoayad
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kholoud Bin Sauib
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hisah Alnasserallah
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rahaf Hzazzi
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled Obaideen
- Sustainable Engineering Asset, Management Research Group, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Basil H Aboul-Enein
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
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Little GM, Kohl PA, Wardropper CB. Health and Environmental Protective Behavioral Intentions for Reducing Harm from Water Pollutants. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 72:587-597. [PMID: 36869914 PMCID: PMC9984752 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01805-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Understanding what motivates people to adopt protective behaviors is important in developing effective risk messaging. Motivations may vary depending on the nature of the risk and whether it poses a personal or impersonal threat. Water pollution creates both personal (human health) and impersonal (environmental) threats, yet few studies have examined people's motivations to protect both personal health and environmental health. Protection motivation theory (PMT) uses four key variables to predict what motivates individuals to protect themselves in relation to a perceived threat. Using data from an online survey (n = 621), we investigated the relationships between PMT variables related to health and environmental protective behavioral intentions related to toxic water pollutants among residents in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, USA. Among PMT variables, high self-efficacy (belief in one's own capacity to carry out certain behaviors) significantly predicted both health and environmental protective behavioral intentions for water pollutants, while perceived severity of the threat was only significant in the environmental behavioral intentions model. Perceived vulnerability and response efficacy (belief that a specific behavior will effectively mitigate the threat) were significant in both models. Education level, political affiliation, and subjective knowledge of pollutants were significant predictors of environmental protective behavioral intentions, but not health protective behavioral intentions. The results of this study suggest that when communicating environmental risks of water pollution, highlighting self-efficacy in messaging is particularly important to promote protective environmental and personal health behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace M Little
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139, USA.
| | - Patrice A Kohl
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Chloe B Wardropper
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S Goodwin Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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Anthonj C, Setty KE, Ferrero G, A Yaya AM, Mingoti Poague KIH, Marsh AJ, Augustijn EW. Do health risk perceptions motivate water - and health-related behaviour? A systematic literature review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 819:152902. [PMID: 34998758 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Health-related risk perceptions are important determinants of health behaviours and components of behaviour change theories. What someone thinks or feels will motivate or hinder their intention or hesitancy to implement a certain behaviour. Thus, a perceived potential risk to our health and well-being can influence our health-promoting and/or health-seeking behaviour. We aimed to review and synthesize available peer-reviewed literature to better understand the links between water and health-related risk perceptions and behaviours. We conducted the first systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on risk perceptions and behaviours in the context of water and health, published between 2000 and 2021. A total of 187 publications met the inclusion criteria. We extracted data relating to study characteristics and categorized our results according to the major themes emerging from the literature, namely drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and wasterelated topics, health risk factors, diseases and mental health implications, and preventative measures. Our review shows that the literature has grown over the past twenty years, reporting information from different countries belonging to different income groups around the globe, conducted in various settings and contexts, among different target populations, from various disciplinary angles, using different methods, theories and approaches. Our review provides evidence of health risk perceptions determining behaviour particularly related to drinking water sources and water safety. Evidence on disease prevention, health seeking, variations and changes in perception and behaviour over space, geography, socioeconomic differences and time, and the relevance of cultural context is provided. Our review shows that risk perception studies are vital for WASH governance in terms of policy, raising awareness, education and behaviour change. In order to make risk perception and behaviour studies even more relevant to effective public health planning and health messaging, future research needs to increasingly focus on early culturally sensitive interventions and changes in perceptions and behaviours over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Anthonj
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, ITC, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Karen E Setty
- ICF, Durham, NC, USA; The Aquaya Institute, P.O. Box 1603, San Anselmo, CA 94979, USA
| | - Giuliana Ferrero
- WASH consulting, Delft, the Netherlands; IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Al-Mounawara A Yaya
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; UNC Microbiome Core, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Alan J Marsh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; UNC Microbiome Core, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ellen-Wien Augustijn
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, ITC, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
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Yu B, Han YH, Sun Y, Zhang XD. The community residents’ NIMBY attitude on the construction of community ageing care service centres: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:93. [PMID: 35062925 PMCID: PMC8780720 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07478-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background China is the country with the largest elderly population. To actively respond to this ageing population, China has proposed the Community Aged Care Service Centre (CACSC) network as the major elderly care development policy. However, many residents resisted the development of the CACSC network, which affected its smooth implementation. Based on the theory of “Not in My Backyard” (NIMBY), this paper proposes a model of the influencing factors of community residents on the opposition to the construction of CACSCs. Methods Residents living in urban communities over the age of 20 in China are the target of this study. The questionnaires were collected in the form of electronic questionnaires created on a professional website, and hyperlinks to the questionnaires were distributed through social media. The descriptive statistical analysis, T-tests, ANOVA and structural equation modelling were performed on cross-sectional survey data from 509 questionnaires. Results The research results show that superstition, the NIMBY attitude, and perceived risk have a significant positive impact on the opposition to the construction of CACSCs, while the negative impact of perceived benefit on the opposition intention is not significant. Moreover, perceived knowledge has a significant positive impact on perceived benefit and a significant negative impact on superstition and perceived risk. Conclusions Strengthen policy advocacy on ageing, clarify the service content of CACSC and encourage young people to participate in public welfare activities for the elderly can reduce the opposition of community residents to the construction of a CACSC.
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