Abstract
BackgroundThe strength of a society’s response to a public health emergency depends partly on meeting the needs of all segments of the population, especially those who are most vulnerable and subject to greatest adversity. Since the early stages of the H1N1 pandemic, public communication of H1N1 information has been recognized as a challenging issue. Public communication is considered a critical public health task to mitigating adverse population health outcomes before, during, and after public health emergencies. To investigate knowledge and knowledge gaps in the general population regarding the H1N1 pandemic, and to identify the social determinants associated with those gaps, we conducted a survey in March 2010 using a representative random sample of U.S. households.MethodsData were gathered from 1,569 respondents (66.3% response rate) and analyzed using ordered logistic regression to study the impact of socioeconomic factors and demographic characteristics on the individual’s knowledge concerning H1N1 infection and transmission.ResultsResults suggest that level of education and home ownership, reliable indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP), were associated with knowledge of H1N1. Level of education was found to be directly associated with level of knowledge about virus transmission [OR = 1.35, 95% C.I. 1.12-1.63]. Home ownership versus renting was also positively associated with knowledge on the signs and symptoms of H1N1 infection in particular [OR = 2.89, 95% C.I. 1.26-6.66].ConclusionsPolicymakers and public health practitioners should take specific SEP factors into consideration when implementing educational and preventive interventions promoting the health and preparedness of the population, and when designing communication campaigns during a public health emergency.
Highlights
The strength of a society’s response to a public health emergency depends partly on meeting the needs of all segments of the population, especially those who are most vulnerable and subject to greatest adversity
It has been widely documented that social determinants such as social class, neighborhood conditions, social capital, and race/ethnicity are strongly associated with health outcomes and inequalities in communication, including knowledge gaps [5,6,7]
The aim of this study was to investigate gaps in knowledge experienced by the U.S population during the 2009–2010 H1N1 pandemic and to identify the social determinants associated with such gaps
Summary
The strength of a society’s response to a public health emergency depends partly on meeting the needs of all segments of the population, especially those who are most vulnerable and subject to greatest adversity. The strength of a society’s response to a public health emergency depends partly on meeting the needs of all segments of the population, especially those who are most vulnerable and subject to a disproportionate share of adversity. Information was often communicated under conditions of uncertainty, and with very limited knowledge on how people would react and respond to public messaging. Complicating this situation was the reality that this information was directed at social groups known to vary widely in their capacity to follow specific public health advice because of broad disparities in underlying health status, socioeconomic status, communication abilities, and health literacy [3,4]. Our hope was that findings from this study could help inform policymakers and practitioners developing communication campaigns during public health emergencies
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