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Public Risk Perceptions and Preventive Behaviors During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2015

Yushim Kim ,
Wei Zhong ,
Megan Jehn  and
Lauren Walsh
Yushim Kim
Affiliation:
School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, Phoenix
Wei Zhong*
Affiliation:
School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Megan Jehn
Affiliation:
School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Lauren Walsh
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Rockville, Maryland
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Wei Zhong, PhD, School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Quishi Bldg, Rm 437, No. 59 Zhongguancun St, Beijing, 100872, China (E-mail: wzhong@ruc.edu.cn).
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Abstract

Objective

This study examines the public perception of the 2009 H1N1 influenza risk and its association with flu-related knowledge, social contexts, and preventive behaviors during the second wave of the influenza outbreak in Arizona.

Methods

Statistical analyses were conducted on survey data, which were collected from a random-digit telephone survey of the general public in Arizona in October 2009.

Results

The public perceived different levels of risk regarding the likelihood and their concern about contracting the 2009 H1N1 flu. These measures of risk perception were primarily correlated with people of Hispanic ethnicity, having children in the household, and recent seasonal flu experience in the previous year. The perceived likelihood was not strongly associated with preventive behaviors, whereas the perceived concern was significantly associated with precautionary and preparatory behaviors. The association between perceived concern and precautionary behavior persisted after controlling for demographic characteristics.

Conclusions

Pandemic preparedness and response efforts need to incorporate these findings to help develop effective risk communication strategies that properly induce preventive behaviors among the public. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:145-154)

Keywords

risk perceptions2009 H1N1 influenzapreventive behavior
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 145 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

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