Abstract
Examining the variances in the assessments of risk, as perceived by residents, facilitates the development of appropriate risk information communication strategies. This paper aims to identify the effects of information source patterns on perceived food safety risks based on demographic factors. A national survey was conducted to examine, by means of multiple regression analysis, the relationship between the public’s perceived risks, demographic factors and information access. The study finds that residents’ preferences for information sources have been empirically proven to significantly affect their perceptions of food safety. We also find that more educated young urban dwellers, as well as those without cohabitation experience, tend to perceive a higher level of risk with respect to food safety. In contrast to our expectations, gender, family income and family size are not significantly correlated with the perception of food safety risk. The findings help to explain residents’ attitudes toward food safety administration and reactions to food hazards in the Chinese context. It is recommended that the governing authorities strengthen their communication capacities using modern communication media and make full use of traditional and face-to-face communications with respect to regulations.
Highlights
Risk perception has occupied a central position in the agendas of many countries over the last several decades
People who depend on interpersonal exchange are likely to have a lower degree of risk perception about food safety than those who rely on traditional media and social media
Hypotheses Hypothesis 1 (H1), Hypothesis 1A (H1A), Hypothesis 1B (H1B) and Hypothesis 1C (H1C) are fully supported in our empirical study, while Hypothesis 2A (H2A), Hypothesis 2B (H2B) and Hypothesis 2C (H2C) are unsupported (Table 4)
Summary
Risk perception has occupied a central position in the agendas of many countries over the last several decades. The trust in information sources and preference for specific information sources may be key determinants of the public’s perception of risk regarding food safety [6]. Understanding the relationships between the risk perceptions of food safety and the public’s preference for information sources could elicit public approval of governments’ food safety related programs, while optimizing more effective food safety policies [7]. Information source preference should be considered when analyzing the underlying influencing factors of the perceptions of food safety and further actions. This article employs data from a recent representative national survey conducted in 2015 and focuses on communications via various information sources regarding the public perception of food safety risks in China. Four types of information sources are combined with the four demographic factors to examine the potential effect of information access on the perception of food safety risk. Underlying explanations are presented and policy insights and recommendations are suggested based on the empirical analysis
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