Effective Risk Communication Research Articles

Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress in Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on mental health status worldwide. Several studies have investigated the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress in different countries, however, a systematic review on the research topic during COVID-19 is presently lacking in Malaysia's context. To fill this gap, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Sagepub, CINAHL, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched for relevant studies. A total of 16 studies were included in the systematic review. To fill this gap, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Sagepub, CINAHL, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched for relevant studies. A total of 16 studies were included in the systematic review. The analyses showed that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress ranged from 14.3% to 81.7%, 8.0% to 81.7%, and 0.9% to 56.5% respectively. Adult populations demonstrated the highest prevalence of depression, whereas university students reported the highest prevalence of anxiety and stress. Several factors were associated with mental health conditions including age, gender, family income, and perception of COVID-19. Differentials in mental health screening practices call for standardised screening practices. Mental health intervention should be targeted at high-risk populations with effective risk communication.

Your Family Connects: A Theory-Based Intervention to Encourage Communication about Possible Inherited Cancer Risk among Ovarian Cancer Survivors and Close Relatives

Introduction: Encouraging family communication about possible genetic risk has become among the most important avenues for achieving the full potential of genomic discovery for primary and secondary prevention. Yet, effective family-wide risk communication (i.e., conveying genetic risk status and its meaning for other family members) remains a critical gap in the field. We aim to describe the iterative process of developing a scalable population-based communication outreach intervention, Your Family Connects, to reach ovarian cancer survivors and close relatives to communicate the potential for inherited risk and to consider genetic counseling. Methods: Relational-level theories (e.g., interdependence theory) suggest that interventions to promote family cancer risk communication will be most effective if they consider the qualities of specific relationships and activate motives to preserve the relationship. Informed by these theories, we collaborated with 14 citizen scientists (survivors of ovarian cancer or relatives) and collected 261 surveys and 39 structured interviews over 12 weeks of citizen science activities in 2020. Results: The citizen science findings and consideration of relational-level theories informed the content and implementation of Your Family Connects (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.yourfamilyconnects.org/" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.yourfamilyconnects.org</ext-link>). CS results showed survivors favor personal contact with close relatives, but relatives were open to alternative contact methods, such as through health professionals. Recognizing the need for varied approaches based on relationship dynamics, we implemented a relative contact menu to enable survivors identify at-risk relatives and provide multiple contact options (i.e., survivor contact, health professional contact, and delayed contact). In line with relational autonomy principles, we included pros and cons for each option, assisting survivors in choosing suitable contact methods for each relative. Discussion: Our developed intervention represents a novel application of relational-level theories and partnership with citizen scientists to expand genetic services reach to increase the likelihood for fair distribution of cancer genomic advances. The Your Family Connects intervention as part of a randomized trial in collaboration with the Georgia Cancer Registry compared with standard outreach.

Climate change awareness and risk perceptions in the coastal marine ecosystem of Palawan, Philippines

Understanding coastal communities' awareness and risk perceptions of climate change impact is essential in developing effective risk communication tools and mitigation strategies to reduce the vulnerability of these communities. In this study, we examined coastal communities' climate change awareness and risk perceptions of climate change impact on the coastal marine ecosystem, sea level rise impact on the mangrove ecosystem and as a factor affecting coral reefs and seagrass beds. The data were gathered by conducting face-to-face surveys with 291 respondents from the coastal areas of Taytay, Aborlan and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines. Results showed that most participants (82%) perceived that climate change is happening and a large majority (75%) perceived it as a risk to the coastal marine ecosystem. Local temperature rise and excessive rainfall were found to be significant predictors of climate change awareness. Sea level rise was perceived by most participants (60%) to cause coastal erosion and to affect the mangrove ecosystem. On coral reefs and seagrass ecosystems, anthropogenic drivers and climate change were perceived to have a high impact, while marine livelihoods had a low impact. In addition, we found that climate change risk perceptions were influenced by direct experiences of extreme weather events (i.e., temperature rise and excessive rainfall) and climate-related livelihood damages (i.e., declining income). Climate change risk perceptions were also found to vary with household income, education, age group and geographical location. The results suggest that addressing poverty and effectively communicating climate change risks can improve climate change awareness and risk perceptions.

Risk language barriers in a globalized world: Insights from female managers from Slovenia

Background: In today's interconnected and globalised business environment, effective risk management is essential for organisations to achieve sustainable success. However, communication and understanding risks across cultural and linguistic boundaries pose significant challenges. This paper explores the concept of risk language barriers and their impact on corporate management and performance. Purpose: This research examines the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to overcome risk language barriers in a globalised world. By shedding light on the importance of effective risk communication in a diverse and interconnected business environment, the study seeks to provide insights into the significance of addressing these barriers for successful management outcomes. Study design/methodology/approach: The study conducted in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, in February 2023 uses data from in-depth interviews and a focus group to investigate risk language barriers. The participants are women entrepreneurs with prior experience in cross-cultural communication and managing people in different countries, e.g. a Slovenian sales guru with a penchant for transcending borders and a Maltese digital strategist who, through global collaboration and expertise, ensures that every corner of the Slovenian organisation aligns with its overarching goals. Their experiences explore the challenges of risk language and the need for intercultural communication skills. Findings/conclusions: The research findings indicate that addressing risk language barriers is a strategic imperative for achieving successful management outcomes in a globalised business landscape. Overcoming these barriers requires a collaborative and proactive approach to risk communication. Developing intercultural communication skills allows individuals to navigate diverse environments effectively, provides them with more excellent networking opportunities, broadens their horizons, and fosters personal development. Furthermore, managers can strengthen relationships with clients and partners worldwide by addressing risk language barriers effectively. Limitations/future research: The study has limitations regarding its focus on women entrepreneurs. Future research should include diverse demographics and industries, conduct quantitative analyses, and explore technology's role in bridging the risk language gap and associated challenges.

Emergency Risk Communication

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has caused a public health emergency of international concern. During public health emergencies, effective risk communication plays an indispensable part in a country’s emergency response. This paper explores the use of Structural Topic Modelling, a machine learning technique that automatically identifies key topics and their content in textual data, in analysing emergency risk communication (ERC) practice at the state level. The data is from the UK government’s COVID-19 press briefings televised between March 2020 and June 2021, totalling approximately 1 million words. The study identifies the prominent topics covered in those briefings as well as their distribution over time, which in turn reflect the UK government’s priorities in handling the public health emergency. Close scrutiny of the use of a selection of key words in context sheds further light on the government’s ERC practice from a linguistic point of view.

Risk Communication in Early Containment of COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran: Implementation of the World Health Organization Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (WHO-SPRP).

Background: Health systems must have functional and efficient preparedness and response plans to manage pandemics. Moreover, it is essential to adjust to changing circumstances and the dynamic character of pandemics. The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP), emphasizing 144 measures across 10 pillars, helping governments prepare and respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to determine how the Iranian health system, based on the WHO-SPRP, addresses strategic preparedness and response plan in the COVID-19 pandemic at the national level. Methods: The WHO-SPRP was adopted and translated into Persian by 2 bilingual natives. The chief of the health office requested that authorized officers complete the SPRP. Then, a meeting was held by officers of related units involved in COVID-19 management to address the SPRP at regional and national levels. Results: Our findings suggest that up to August 2020, effective risk communication and community engagement were not fully established. Our response plan lacked evidence-based information and educational messaging to consistently shape public opinion and impression of a respiratory pandemic. Conclusion: The Iranian health care system and services were almost able to address the SPRP and perform the major indicators that the WHO had proposed. However, special attention should be paid to risk communication and community engagement to empower informed decision-making by individuals and communities.

Behavioral responses for facemask use messages to prevent COVID-19 among residents of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia: an application of extended parallel process model

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic causes major morbidity and mortality in the world. Timely behavioral response assessment of the community is important to shape the next effective interventions and risk communication strategies to adopt preventive behavior. Hence, this study aimed to assess behavioral responses for facemask-use messages to prevent COVID-19 and its predictors among residents of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia, 2021 by using the Extended Parallel Process Model. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with the guide of the Extended Parallel Process Model in Bahir Dar city from March 9 to April 9, 2021. A multistage sampling technique was used, and data was collected through a face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire using Epicollect5. Descriptive statistics and Binary logistic regression were computed using SPSS V.25. Variable with P < 0.25 in the bivariable analysis was a candidate for multivariable analysis to control confounding effect. In multivariable analysis, variables with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant and the result was presented using an adjusted odd ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsA total of 616 participants with a response rate of 97.1% were included. Of the total participants, 229(37.2%) were in the danger control response. The behavioral response was affected by Occupational status [AOR (95%CI) 3.53(1.67–7.46)], the number of people living together [AOR (95%CI) 2.62(1.28–5.39)], self-control [AOR (95%CI) 1.14(1.05–1.25)], a friend for the preferred source of information [AOR (95%CI) 5.18(3.22–8.33)] and printed materials for the preferred channel [AOR (95%CI) 2.14(1.35–3.43)].ConclusionAbove one-third of the participants were in the danger control response. Occupational status, number of people living together, self-control, a friend for the preferred source of information, and printed materials for the preferred channel were independent predictors of resident behavioral response to the use of facemasks. Policymakers should consider students and people who live alone. Message developers should use a friendly person to transmit messages and should prepare printed materials. Activities and strategies should also focus on self-control and perceived efficacy without ignoring the perceived threat.

The choice of message and messenger to drive behavior change that averts the health impacts of wildfires: an online randomized controlled experiment

BackgroundTo reduce the negative health effects from wildfire smoke exposure, effective risk and health communication strategies are vital. We estimated the behavioral effects from changes in message framing and messenger in public health messages about wildfire smoke on Facebook.MethodsDuring September and October 2021, we conducted a preregistered online randomized controlled experiment in Facebook. Adult Facebook users (n = 1,838,100), living in nine wildfire-prone Western U.S. states, were randomly assigned to see one of two ad versions (narrative frame vs. informational frame) from one of two messengers (government vs. academic). We estimated the effects of narrative framing, the messenger, and their interactions on ad click-through rates, a measure of recipient information-seeking behavior.ResultsNarrative frame increased click-through rates by 25.3% (95% CI = 22.2, 28.4%), with larger estimated effects among males, recipients in areas with less frequent exposure to heavy wildfire smoke, and in areas where predominant political party affiliation of registered voters was Republican (although not statistically different from predominantly-Democrat areas). The estimated effect from an academic messenger compared to a government messenger was small and statistically nonsignificant (2.2%; 95% CI = − 0.3, 4.7%). The estimated interaction effect between the narrative framing and the academic messenger was also small and statistically nonsignificant (3.9%; 95% CI = − 1.1, 9.1%).ConclusionsTraditional public service announcements rely heavily on communicating facts (informational framing). Shifting from a fact-focused, informational framing to a story-focused, narrative framing could lead to more effective health communication in areas at risk of wildfires and in public health contexts more broadly.Trial registrationDate registered: August 19, 2021; Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JMWUF

COMUNICAÇÃO DE RISCO DE INUNDAÇÃO

The aim of the present study is to present an overview of, and research trends to investigate, flood risk communication between 2010 and 2020. Thus, bibliometric analysis was used as research technique. The main results comprised 34 identified articles that were mainly published from 2014, onwards. Most authors were from European, North American and Asian countries. It was possible observing lack of authors from developing countries in Africa and Latin America, which are areas acknowledged as vulnerable to, and affected by, disproportionate impacts caused by natural disasters. Studies conducted so far have presented elucidative findings about the effects of effective risk communication presence or absence on society. Keywords: Risk Information. Resilience. Bibliometrics. Collaboration Networks

Personal exposure monitoring using GPS-enabled portable air pollution sensors: A strategy to promote citizen awareness and behavioral changes regarding indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Little is known about how individuals are exposed to air pollution in various daily activity spaces due to a lack of data collected in the full range of spatial contexts in which they spend their time. The limited understanding makes it difficult for people to act in informed ways to reduce their exposure both indoors and outdoors. This study aimed to (1) assess whether personalized air quality data collected using GPS-enabled portable monitors (GeoAir2), coupled with travel-activity diaries, promote people's awareness and behavioral changes regarding indoor and outdoor air pollution and (2) demonstrate the effect of places and activities on personal exposure by analyzing individual exposure profiles. 44 participants carried GeoAir2 to collect geo-referenced air pollution data and completed travel-activity diaries for three days. These data were then combined for spatial data analysis and visualization. Participants also completed pre- and post-session surveys about awareness and behaviors regarding air pollution. Paired-sample t-tests were performed to evaluate changes in knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, and behavioral intentions/practices, respectively. Lastly, follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of participants. Most participants experienced PM2.5 peaks indoors, especially when cooking at home, and had the lowest exposure in transit. Participants reported becoming more aware of air quality in their surroundings and more concerned about its health effects (t = 3.92, p = 0.000) and took more action or were more motivated to alter their behaviors to mitigate their exposure (t = 3.40, p = 0.000) after the intervention than before. However, there was no significant improvement in knowledge (t = 0.897; p = 0.187). Personal exposure monitoring, combined with travel-activity diaries, leads to positive changes in attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors related to air pollution. This study highlights the importance of citizen engagement in air monitoring for effective risk communication and air pollution management.

Interplay between Discrete Emotions and Preventive Behavior in Health Crises: Big Data Analysis of COVID-19

Understanding the interplay between discrete emotions and COVID-19 prevention behaviors will help healthcare professionals and providers to implement effective risk communication and effective risk decision making. This study analyzes data related to COVID-19 posted by the American public on Twitter and identifies three discrete negative emotions (anger, anxiety, and sadness) of the public from massive text data. Next, econometric analyses (i.e., the Granger causality test and impulse response functions) are performed to evaluate the interplay between discrete emotions and preventive behavior based on emotional time series and Google Shopping Trends time series, representing public preventive behavior. Based on the textual analysis of tweets from the United States, the following conclusions are drawn: Anger is a Granger cause of preventive behavior and has a slightly negative effect on the public's preventive behavior. Anxiety is a Granger cause of preventive behavior and has a positive effect on preventive behavior. Furthermore, preventive behavior is a Granger cause of anxiety and has a negative and lagging effect on anxiety. Exploring how discrete emotions, such as anger and anxiety, affect preventive behaviors will effectively demonstrate how discrete emotions play qualitatively different roles in promoting preventive behaviors. Moreover, understanding the impact of preventive behaviors on discrete emotions is useful for better risk communication.

Infectious disease risk communication and engagement using puppetry and related approaches for improving handwashing with soap in an informal settlement of Nairobi

Handwashing with soap (HWWS) has been estimated to have the potential to prevent 35% of the 704,880 deaths per year caused by diarrhoeal infectious diseases (UN Millennium Project, 2018), its wider risk reduction influence subsequently accentuated in times of COVID-19. However, this depends on place specific risk communication that leads to behaviour change, particularly amongst children in economically poor neighbourhoods. A study centred on five schools in the informal settlement of Kawangware, Nairobi found that puppetry, shadow shows and school model making produced effective risk communication and engagement spaces. Increased HWWS occurred when children designed, owned, and were able to apply risk communication.

The power of a healthy lifestyle for cancer prevention: the example of colorectal cancer

We aimed to directly compare the estimated effects of adherence to a healthy lifestyle with those of risk predisposition according to known genetic variants affecting colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, to support effective risk communication for cancer prevention. A healthy lifestyle score (HLS) was derived from 5 lifestyle factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and body adiposity. The association of lifestyle and polygenic risk score (PRS) (based on 140 CRC-associated risk loci) with CRC risk was assessed with multiple logistic regression and compared through the genetic risk equivalent (GRE), a novel approach providing an estimate of the effects of adherence to a healthy lifestyle in terms of percentile differences in PRS. A higher HLS was associated with lower CRC risk (4,844 cases, 3,964 controls). Those adhering to all 5 healthy lifestyle factors had a 62% (95% CI 54%-68%) lower CRC risk than those adhering to ≤ 2 healthy lifestyle factors. The estimated effect of adherence to all 5 compared with ≤ 2 healthy lifestyle factors was as strong as the effect of having a 79 percentile (GRE 79, 95% CI 61-97) lower PRS. The association between a healthy lifestyle and CRC risk was independent of PRS level but was particularly pronounced among those with a family history of CRC in ≥ 1 first-degree relative (P-interaction = 0.0013). A healthy lifestyle was strongly inversely associated with CRC risk. The large GRE indicated that CRC risk determined by polygenic risk may be offset to a substantial extent by adherence to a healthy lifestyle.

Effects of temporal framing and hazard experience on receptivity to hurricane risk messages: A survey of U.S. Gulf Coast residents

IntroductionAs knowledge in the scientific community increases regarding how anthropogenic CO2 loading of the atmosphere will impact future hurricane activity, the need for effective and accurate communication of hurricane risk in coastal communities—specifically to non-scientific stakeholders—also increases.MethodsTo better inform hurricane risk communication, this study employs a survey of U.S. Gulf Coast residents immediately following the active 2017 hurricane season to consider how message framing (as established by communicator word choice) and stakeholders' experience may affect receptivity to hurricane hazard information. Specifically, it tests how respondents' perceptions of hurricane risk varied with prior experience and following exposure to randomly assigned, infographic-based depictions of trends in major hurricane (≥ category 3, Saffir Simpson Scale) frequency. The set of randomly assigned infographics varied in both temporal framing (past-to-present trends based on paleo data versus present-to-future trends based on climate projections) and causal framing (‘climate change' versus ‘ocean and atmospheric change').ResultsDamaging hurricane experience may be associated with a tendency towards increasing hurricane risk perceptions after viewing the infographics. For framing effects, temporal framing of hurricane risk messages matters, with forward-looking framings (future projections) causing increased perceptions of risk and storm frequency; effects of causal framing were not significant. The results also show that Gulf Coast residents tend to be more optimistic about the future frequency of major hurricanes than most scientists and, consistent with confirmation and optimism biases, are somewhat resistant to changing their prior risk beliefs based on infographic exposure.DiscussionThese results suggest that future projections – rather than paelo analogs – may be best for quickly communicating expected increases in hurricane risk. Communicators should consider these factors when translating scientific hurricane risk information to the public.

Zero-Tolerance Security Paradigm for Enterprise-Specific Industrial Internet of Things

The complex industrial environment of the 21st century is equipped with the Internet of Things platform, with the objective of real-time operational visibility, improved device management and predictive maintenance. To unleash the focused importance of its policy, a secure connectivity must be realized through a range of existing and dissimilar devices and data sources. During the conceptualization phase, the authors aimed to compel the following: (a) that restriction of access should be based on the presence of unexpected device actions that may point to a security breach, and (b) ensure the safety of the system by constant tracking of connected devices and data. In this paper, a policy-driven, zero-trust defense model is proposed to address numerous vulnerable entry points, validate device access to legitimate enterprise functions, quarantine unsecure devices, and trigger automated warnings and policy validation for hardware, software, network connectivity and data management. To handle active scanning, bots, passive auditing, outbound threat management, and device interconnections, an experimental environment was put up. This environment provides holistic visibility and a persistent view of all resources, including those that were previously unknown. A steady stream of reliable and authenticated data has helped to develop and adjust a scalable implementation strategy by avoiding recognized anomalous traps. Actual data was aggregated and analyzed to assess the proposed methodology. Comparative analysis of ‘device exposure view, attack path analysis, controlled view of devices, comprehensive vulnerability evaluation, and effective communication of cyber risk’ has proved the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Visual Preoperative Risk Depiction Tools for Shared Decision-making: A Pilot Study from the Surgeon's Perspective.

Complications for reduction mammoplasty and skin grafting in a burns setting were sourced from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Surgical Risk Calculator, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website, peer-reviewed literature, and available clinical data. Pre- and postoperative patient satisfaction data were collected from the published literature on Breast-Q patient-reported outcomes for reduction mammoplasty. Everyday risk comparisons were collected from a general online database search. Three distinct risk depiction tools (spiral, tile, and scatter plot) were developed in the Microsoft Office Suite. Anonymous REDCap surveys were sent to healthcare practitioners for feedback. Twenty-six survey results were collected. Twenty-four respondents (92%) agreed these graphics would be useful for SDM discussions. Nineteen respondents (73%) either agreed or strongly agreed that these graphics depicted risk in a meaningful way. Fifteen respondents (58%) indicated they would use these graphics in daily practice. The majority of respondents preferred the spiral design (58%). Areas for improvement included design simplification and written explanations to accompany graphics. Feedback from the survey was incorporated into the spiral design. Risk visualization tools meaningfully depict surgical risks to improve communication in SDM. This study proposes a tool that can be adapted for many surgical procedures.

Understanding the intention to stay and defend during a bushfire: An application of virtual reality to improve awareness of predictors associated with behavioural response

Encouraging residents of bushfire-prone areas to make wise protective action decisions in response to bushfire threats is a challenging task. Despite the emphasis on early evacuation as the safest option, there are circumstances when staying and defending a property is a rational decision. Using the protective action decision model (PADM), this study aimed to: (1) increase understanding of the relative importance of bushfire risk perception, protective action perception, and stakeholder perception in predicting the intention to ‘stay and defend’ and (2) analyse the effect of a virtual reality (VR) intervention on these factors among South Australian residents (n = 299). Prior to the VR intervention, participants were grouped into three cohorts of ‘stay and defend’, ‘leave early’ and ‘wait and see’ based on their preferred protective action on a day forecast as a day of severe fire danger. The participants who either indicated they would ‘stay and defend’ or ‘wait and see’ experienced the intervention which challenged their capacity to ‘stay and defend’ using a virtual bushfire threat. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis of data showed that protective action perception was the strongest predictor of the intention to stay and defend for all cohorts. Self-efficacy was found to have a mediating role between risk perception and the intention to stay and defend. For those intending to ‘stay and defend’, stakeholder perception was not a significant predictor, however, its importance amongst all three groups significantly increased after exposure to the virtual bushfire experience. Understanding the differences in the decision-making process of the three cohorts and the way they were influenced by the virtual scenario provides valuable insights that could contribute to the design of more effective bushfire risk communication strategies.

Developing A Framework of Effective Risk Communication for Crisis Management in The Abu Dhabi Police Department

chapter one provides a clear outline of different engaging steps in current research. This chapter includes the background of the study, research objectives, problem statements, and operational definitions used in the research study. This chapter gives a comprehensive study of how the research is going to be conducted and it will engage the reader to move to the next chapter. chapter two has reviewed the previous literature on the importance of effective communication in crisis management. Also, the communication approach is used to deal with crises. Next, reviewed Important Constructs in Effective Communication for the team. The theoretical review looks at attribution, situational and image repair theory. The empirical review has considered the objectives of the study. On the role of channels of communication in crisis management, the study has considered a review of literature in the role of traditional and social media during crisis management. Considering barriers to effective communication in crisis management, the literature review considers technological, organizational, and social barriers to effective communication in crisis management. The last objective presents a new model that should be considered by organizations for effective communication in crisis management. From the review of the literature, no research has already been done on the role of effective communication during crisis management specifically. This creates a research gap that needs to be considered. Therefore, there is a need for this research study to identify the importance of effective communication during crisis management in the Police Department of Abu Dhabi. The methodology chapter has provided a clear breakdown of various steps in which the researcher engages in conducting the interview. The aspects of sampling, data collection methods, research design, data analysis, instruments, and ethical considerations have been well discussed in this chapter.

“They're trying to bribe you and taking away your freedoms”: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in communities with traditionally low vaccination rates

Vaccination is an essential public health intervention to control the COVID-19 pandemic. A minority of Canadians, however, remain hesitant about COVID-19 vaccines, while others outright refuse them. We conducted focus groups to gauge perceptions and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines in people who live in a region with historically low rates of childhood vaccination. Participants discussed their perception of COVID-19 vaccines and their intention to get vaccinated, and the low rate of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Manitoba’s Southern Health Region compared to other regions in Canada. We identified three drivers of vaccine hesitancy: (1) risk perceptions about COVID-19 and the vaccines developed to protect against it, (2) religious and conservative views; and (3) distrust in government and science. Participant proposed recommendations for improving communication and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines included: public health messages emphasising the benefits of vaccination; addressing the community’s specific concerns and dispelling misinformation; highlighting vaccine safety; and emphasising vaccination as a desirable behaviour from a religious perspective. Understanding the specific anxieties elicited by COVID-19 vaccines in areas with low childhood immunization rates can inform risk communication strategies tailored to increase vaccination in these specific regions. This study adds important information on potential reasons for vaccine hesitancy in areas with historically low rates of childhood vaccination, and provides important lessons learned for future emergencies in terms of vaccine hesitancy drivers and effective risk communication to increase vaccine uptake.

Classification of sub-populations for quantitative risk assessment based on awareness and perception: A cross-sectional population study of private well users in Ontario

Private well users in Ontario are responsible for protective actions, including source maintenance, treatment, and submitting samples for laboratory testing. However, low participation rates are reported, thus constituting a public health concern, as risk mitigation behaviours can directly reduce exposure to waterborne pathogens. The current study examined the combined effects of socio-demographic profile, experience(s), and “risk domains” (i.e., awareness, attitudes, risk perceptions and beliefs) on behaviours, and subsequently classified private well users in Ontario based on cognitive factors. A province-wide online survey (n = 1228) was employed to quantify Ontario well owners' awareness, perceptions, and behaviours in relation to their personal groundwater supply and local contamination sources. A scoring protocol for four risk domains was developed. Two-step cluster analysis was used to classify respondents based on individual risk domain scores. Logistic regression was employed to identify key variables associated with cluster membership (i.e., profile analysis). Overall, 1140 survey respondents were included for analyses. Three distinct clusters were identified based on two risk domains; groundwater awareness and source risk perception. Profile analyses indicate “low awareness and source risk perception” (Low A/SRP) members were more likely male, while “low awareness and moderate source risk perception” (Low A/Mod SRP) members were more likely female and bottled water users. Well users characterised as “high awareness and source risk perception” (High A/SRP) were more likely to report higher educational attainment and previous well water testing. Findings illustrate that socio-cognitive clusters and their components (i.e., demographics, awareness, attitudes, perceptions, experiences, and protective actions) are distinct based on the likelihood, frequency, and magnitude of waterborne pathogen exposures (i.e., risk-based). Risk-based clustering, when incorporated into quantitative microbial risk assessment, enables the development of effective risk management and communication initiatives that are demographically focused and tailored to specific sub-groups.