Risk Communication Process Research Articles

7.I. Skills building seminar: Beyond the jargon: an interactive workshop for effective risk communication

Abstract Risk communication plays a central role in epidemiology to provide information for disease surveillance and outbreak control. It is one of the of the eight core functions that WHO Member States must comply with as part of the International Health Regulations (2005) ensuring national and global preparedness for health threats. It refers to the timely and accurate exchange of information between public health experts or authorities and individuals who are confronted with a threat to their survival, health, economic or social well-being. At its core, risk communication is about empowering people exposed to a risk to make well-informed decisions in order to mitigate potential risks and adopt preventive actions and measures. Risk communication considers political, social, and economic factors; it analyses risk and risk perception; and it places a great emphasis on dialogue with impacted and targeted populations to help them make the best decisions they can. Therefore, it requires an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, and beliefs, as well as their knowledge and practices. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for effective and efficient risk communication has become even more evident than before. Risk communication should be able to recognise and deal with rumours and disinformation, and reach the most vulnerable groups, who have a higher risk of contracting the virus and suffering from COVID-related consequences. Lately, increasing attention has been given to this topic. The WHO set-up, in April 2023, a technical Advisory Group for Risk Communication, Community Engagement and Infodemic management (TAG-RCCE-IM) to provide independent review and technical advice in the context of emergency preparedness and response in Europe. The Joint Action PreventNCD aims to also build a framework for country-specific communication strategies for non-communicable diseases (NCD) patients in health crises in one of the Work Packages, by collecting and analysing health communication strategies in different European countries targeting NCDs. In this interactive skills-building seminar, we will share with the participants the knowledge, skills, and process of effective risk communication by using case studies from experts in the field. The session will start with a presentation on the core elements of risk communication followed by examples from the field. This workshop will foster an inclusive interactive environment where participants will hear from panellists sharing their experiences from different settings such as international organisations and national public health institutes. Participants will be split into groups and will be provided with a piece of scientific output, such as a research study or epidemiological report and encouraged to translate this technical message into a clear, concise message that can effectively communicate the key points to the general public. Key messages • Risk communication is essential to fight disinformation while empowering the public to make informed decisions related to their health and well-being. • Epidemiologists and researchers should be encouraged to employ efficient and targeted communication strategies when disseminating their findings. Speakers/Panelists Stefan Schaub Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA, Cologne, Germany Federica Rossetti Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium Stefan Adrian Voinea WHO/Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark

Message framing and trust as moderated mediating mechanisms for effective government response to uncertain risk messages

This study explores moderating and mediating mechanisms that determine the effectiveness of government responses to media messages about a risk. Focusing on the risk of radiation-contaminated water originating from Japan, it investigates how uncertainty, gain and loss frames, and trust affect the risk communication process. A survey experiment tested the extent to which media messages about a risk in conjunction with government responses to those messages would either amplify or dampen an unwarranted reaction to the risk (in this case, the intention to refrain from consuming seafood). The experiment was conducted among 982 adult residents of South Korea and consisted of a 2 message uncertainty (mentioned vs. not mentioned) × 2 government response frame (gain vs. loss) between-subjects design with conditions randomly assigned. Our conditional process model (Model 12 using PROCESS macro) yielded three main findings. First, neither the uncertainty of the message nor the type of government response frame had significant direct or interaction effects on unwarranted behavioral intention (UBI). Second, among those with a high level of basic trust in government (BTG), government messages with a gain frame generated a higher level of trust in the government’s response (TGR). Third, a gain-framed government response also generated a lower level of UBI via TGR, but only among those with a high level of BTG.

Policy communication in times of public health crisis: Longitudinal network modeling of U.S. politician-health agency interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Severe public crisis such COVID-19 pandemic entail coordinated communication between politicians and public health agencies. The study explores how and why U.S. politicians share messages from health agencies on social media during COVID. Proposing a multi-theoretical, multi-level (MTML) framework to understand the phenomenon, we draw upon the Advocacy Coalition Framework and Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication theory and conceptualize politicians' public health communication as serving the dual functions of policy and risk communication. With bipartite longitudinal network modeling, our analysis finds a fragmented national message-sharing network deprived of central federal leadership and clustered around state-level actors such as local health agencies and state governors. The politicians' party affiliation and positions on COVID-19 policies significantly impacted whether they would help distribute messages from public health agencies. Health agencies' message features such as expression of certainty and use of analytical words also influenced politicians’ message sharing patterns. These findings suggest the pandemic communication is both a policy advocacy and a risk and crisis communication process. This integrated theoretical approach offers explanations of information sharing dynamics between politicians and health agencies, two major information sources for the public.

What captures attention in the risk communication process: Exploring streaming video attractiveness during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China

The incomplete understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the chemistry between information dissemination channels and receivers has hindered the development of efficient risk communication strategies. Hence, this study proposes an exploratory framework that evaluates streaming video attractiveness crossing message contents as well as streaming video attributes and formats. The study employs a series of statistical analyses on 235 COVID-19-related videos collected from the Bilibili video-sharing website in China during the first wave of the pandemic. The results indicate significant differences between live-action introductory videos, evidence-based presentation videos, and animations in community power, receiving capacities, message contents, and attractiveness. Notably, message content emerged as the most critical factor in determining a video's attractiveness, while animations can adjust the effects of different message types. The findings facilitate the efficient dissemination of risk messages by specifying which video formats are more effective in communicating which types of risk messages. Additionally, it highlights that the use of animations can enhance the level of attractiveness. The proposed framework and findings can be utilized in future research and practical applications to develop more comprehensive risk communication strategies.

“Striking the right balance”: tensions in municipal risk communication management for preparedness

PurposeThe aim of the study is to deepen the knowledge about municipalities' risk communication for preparedness. This objective was pursued by analyzing how risk communication functions were organized in municipalities and by scrutinizing tensions in risk communication management.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on 19 qualitative, semi-structured interviews with communication practitioners in Swedish municipalities. The sample was purposive and included Swedish municipalities varying in number of inhabitants, geographical location, degree of urbanization, size and risk profile.FindingsRisk communication is seen as a sub-field of crisis communication in municipalities' communication management. The task of initiating risk communication activities and campaigns is frequently assigned to the municipalities' safety units or emergency coordinators and is normally not part of communication practitioners' duties. Municipal communication practitioners often face challenges in trying to demonstrate the significance of the practitioners' role in risk communication and other risk-related activities within the municipality. The practitioners' work is characterized by four categories of tensions that are identified as follows: constitutional/legal, organizational, cultural and technological.Practical implicationsThe identified tensions in risk communication are important for reflexive practitioners to consider, and the paper suggests three steps that municipal communication managers can take to handle them.Originality/valueThe study contributes with novel knowledge about municipal communication management in a context of risk communication. The study challenges the existing and dominant risk communication research and offers a more contextual and reflexive understanding of actual risk communication processes in municipalities.

Process and components of disaster risk communication in health systems: A thematic analysis.

This study has clarified and explained all the main components and measures of risk communication that can be used for planning scientifically.

SOCIAL RESILIENCE TO FLOOD DISASTERS: DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF IMPACT

Starting from the increasingly frequent consequences of floods in local communities in Serbia, this paper aims to examine the level and impact of selected demographic, socio-economic and psychological factors on the level of social resilience to flood disasters. The research was conducted using a provided questionnaire and then collected online for 261 respondents during August 2021. The research results show a statistically significant influence of gender, previous experience, social ties, trust in public institutions and involvement in risk communication processes on the level of social resilience to flooding disasters. In addition, research has found that strengthening social resilience requires strengthening social networking, trust and solidarity among members of the local community. The obtained research results can significantly help all stakeholders formulate strategies, plans, and initiatives to improve social resilience to the consequences of flood disasters and create preconditions for building a safe and sustainable environment.

Risk Communication Distributed among Migrant Workers during the COVID-19 Crisis in Thailand: Analysis on Structural and Networking Gaps.

Language and cultural barriers among migrant workers hamper access to health risk information. This study aims to explore health risk communication structure and processes and identify the communication network of migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. This study used a parallel mixed-methods design combined with in-depth interviews and questionnaires for social network analysis from November 2020 to June 2021 in the headquarter district of Samut Sakhon, Ranong, and Phuket provinces. We conducted purposive sampling of representatives from public and non-public organisations and local communities. Thirty-six key informants participated in in-depth interviews, and fifty-six respondents completed the questionnaire for social network analysis. Although health risk communication included various activities, there was no formal governing body responsible for health risk communication among migrants, and monitoring and evaluation of communication process were not well-implemented. The health risk communication network was centralised, especially in the rural area; however, migrant health volunteers (MHVs) and local media were key sources of information for most migrants in communities. Overall, a governing body led by the government with intersectional collaboration and a health risk communication process should be promoted while considering migrants’ characteristics and concerns. The health risk communication network should identify key communicators such as MHVs and local media. This can be an effective strategy to fill the gap of information dependency.

Effectiveness and quality of risk communication process in Ethiopia: The case of risk communication during cholera outbreak in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BackgroundWHO states risk communication as the conversation of actual information, guidance, and thoughts between specialists and people fronting risks to their well-being, economic or social safety. As risk communication activities are complex and costly usually, evaluation assessment are the best approach to advance risk communication interventions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication and the quality of health communication materials developed during the 2019 cholera outbreak at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based parallel mixed design was conducted from May to June 2020 at Addis Ababa. A total of 605 adults were selected randomly from Addis Ketema sub-city and ten purposely selected adults were interviewed for qualitative data. In addition eight health communication materials on cholera were randomly selected for evaluation. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. After audio recorded interviews transcribed verbatim and translated into English the qualitative data were entered into open code version 4.02 for analysis. And then the data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultRespondents exposed for cholera related messages and outbreak information were 71.8% and 52.7% respectively. Respondents have moderate knowledge for cholera with (M = 14.72 and SD ±4.02) with (0–34) scale range. Both Television and radio spots were found as simple and easy to understand and printed health communication materials score low quality. Poor documentation, lack of data management system and less attention for risk communication activities were identified as a gaps in risk communication in the study settings.Conclusionthis study revealed the positive effects of risk communication messages in increasing individuals’ knowledge. Even though the risk communication spots were found to be simple and easy to understand, the quality of printed materials was low and less attention was given for the risk-communication activities. Thus, strengthening the quality of risk communication and materials development process is very important to bring desired effects in disease prevention strategies and for effective emergency responses in the future.

Radiation risk perception among parents and legal representatives of children undergoing radiological examinations

Risk communication is one of the stages of health risk analysis and is an interactive process of exchange of information and opinions about risks, including medical risks, between risk assessment specialists, decision makers, the media, stakeholder groups and the public. In organizing interaction with stakeholders in the risk communication process, sociological research helps to explore the attitudes of the actors. One of risk communication situations in the field of radiation protection is information provision to patients and their legal representatives about radiation health risks due to the medical radiology examinations. The aim of this study was to assess the radiation risk perception among parents and legal representatives of children undergoing radiological examinations. Parents and legal representatives of children undergoing hospital treatment from November 2021 to March 2022 were interviewed in a large pediatric infectious diseases hospital. A questionnaire designed at St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene was used for the interviews. In total, 125 people were interviewed. The study showed that there were no significant differences in the perception of radiation risks among parents and legal representatives of children undergoing inpatient treatment with different socio-demographic characteristics. The level of knowledge was not identified as a factor shaping a tolerant attitude toward medical radiation risks. Parents and legal representatives of children undergoing hospital treatment show high rates of trust in the attending physicians and medicine in general. The study results show that those who have been informed about the risks generally have lower risk perception for radiological medical examinations than those who have not been informed about the risks.

Strategies of relief organizations for improvement of disaster risk communication process in Iran

The frequency and severity of disaster occurrence and emergency situations, and the importance of disaster risk communication of relief organizations to increase the readiness of societies in the case of disaster are increasing around the world. This study aimed to identify relief organizations' strategies to improve disaster risk communication in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted with the participation of 25 managers, relief workers, and people who had experiences in response to one of the disasters. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis.The analysis of the data of this study led to the identification of 3 categories and 9 sub-categories regarding strategies of relief organizations to improve risk communication. These categories are 1) management of information and educational communication 2) management of communication barriers, and 3) Inter-organizational communication management.Relief organizations use different strategies to improve disaster risk communication, and communication barrier management is vital for improving organizations' communication with people. Developing risk communication improvement strategies can help planners and managers design and implement effective risk management programs.

Improving fire risk communication between authorities and micro-entrepreneurs: A mental models study of Ghanaian central market fires.

This study conceptualizes how fire management authorities can empower nonexpert public to participate in fire risk communication processes and increase their own responsibilities for managing fire preventive, protective and recovery processes effectively. Drawing narratives from 10 disaster management experts working at government institutions and nine micro-entrepreneurs operating self-sustaining businesses in different merchandized lines in Ghana, we analyzed the data thematically and explored new insights on mental models to generate a two-way fire risk communication model. The findings suggest that fire management authorities planned fire disasters at the strategic level, collaborated with multiple stakeholders, disseminated information through many risk communication methods, and utilized their capabilities to manage fire at the various stages of fire risk communication, but the outcomes were poor. The micro-entrepreneurs sought to improve fire management outcomes through attitude change, law enforcement actions, strengthened security and better public trust building. The study has implications for policymakers, governments, and risk communication authorities of developing countries to strengthen their fire disaster policies to minimize commercial fire incidents and address the damaging effects of fire on people's livelihoods, businesses, properties, and environments. Our proposed two-way fire risk communication model is a new theoretical lens for experts and the nonexpert public to assess each other's beliefs about risk information and manage fire risk communication effectively at all stages.

A suspect cluster of childhood cancer in Valle di Ledro (Province of Trento, Northern Italy). Epidemiological evaluation, risk management, and communication activities, 2018-2020

leukaemia is the most prevalent form of childhood cancer, an overall rare condition in childhood. Even few cases occurring in a small community can cause considerable apprehension among the population. From 2014 to 2017, 4 cases of childhood cancer occurred in Valle di Ledro, a municipality of 5,300 inhabitants in Province of Trento (Northern Italy), and a group of concerned citizens asked provincial health authorities for an investigation. to address the community's health needs by verifying the hypothesis of a cluster of childhood cancer and through effective risk communication activities. retrospective cohort analysis based on data from the Cancer registry of the Autonomous Province of Trento and data collected from hospital discharge records. The communication activities were carried out according to the recommendations published by Epidemiologia&Prevenzione in 2016 in a Supplement "Childhood cancers, risk factors and investigation models for the evaluation of spatio-temporal clusters". Valle di Ledro, a municipality of 5,300 inhabitants in the Province of Trento. The participants in risk communication process were: city council; grassroot committee of concerned parents; health workforce of different services (epidemiology, cancer registry, public health; environmental health; primary health care; personnel of the Environmental Protection Agency; journalists; general population. The participants in the statistical analyses were: children of 0-14 years of age who were diagnosed a cancer from 1998 to 2014 in the Province of Trento (N. 212); leukaemia (N. 84) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (N. 66) incident cases in the period 1998-2017 in Trento province. verification of the presence of a cluster of childhood cancers; degree of consensus and collaboration of the different community stakeholders to the survey procedures and acceptance of the final results; atmosphere in public assemblies and feedback in the local press. a total of 212 incident cancer cases in children 0-14 years have been registred in Province of Trento from 1998 to 2014, leukaemia in 35% (N. 74) cases. From 2015 to 2017, another 10 cases of leukaemia occurred, for a total of 84 cases of leukaemia from 1998 to 2017. In the years from 1998 to 2017, in Valle di Ledro, taking the Italian population as reference group, the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were the following: cancer, all types 1,47 (IC95% 0,40-3,76); leukaemia 3,39 (IC95% 0,70-9,90), LLA 2,81 (IC95% 0,34-10,16). No cluster emerged from the geographical analyses. From the very beginning of the risk management approach, a decision-making working group was set up applying a participatory approach. Group members included the city council and the local committee of concerned parents and experts from different services of the local health unit. Data analyses was delegated to a technical working group that reported back to the decision-making group. Members of the technical working group were supervised by external experts. Following this approach, it was possible to establish a climate of trust and credibility. The involvement of all stakeholders right from the start in a totally transparent process was a key element of success. the cluster hypothesis was rejected for both childhood cancer (all types) and leukaemia (all types and ALL). The implementation of the risk communication process recommended by the AIE guidelines was successful in establishing a climate of reciprocal trust that allowed to overcome inevitable moments of conflict in a productive manner. Thanks to this positive atmosphere, the communication of the results of the statistical analyses was effective in reassuring the population.

Toward dialogue through a holistic measuring framework – the impact of social media on risk communication in the COVID-19

PurposeDespite the huge potential of social media, its functionality and impact for enhanced risk communication remain unclear. Drawing on dialogic theory by integrating both “speak from power” and “speak to power” measurements, the article aims to propose a systematic framework to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe impact of social media on risk communication is measured by the correlation between “speak from power” and “speak to power” levels, where the former primarily spoke to two facets of the risk communication process – rapidness and attentiveness, and the latter was benchmarked against popularity and commitment. The framework was empirically validated with data relating to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) risk communication in 25,024 selected posts on 17 official provincial Weibo accounts in China.FindingsThe analysis results suggest the relationship between the “speak from power” and “speak to power” is mixed rather than causality, which confirms that neither the outcome-centric nor the process-centric method alone can render a full picture of government–public interconnectivity. Besides, the proposed interconnectivity matrix reveals that two provinces have evidenced the formation of government–public mutuality, which provides empirical evidence that dialogic relationships could exist in social media during risk communication.Originality/valueThe authors' study proposed a prototype framework that underlines the need that the impact of social media on risk communication should and must be assessed through a combination of process and outcome or interconnectivity. The authors further divide the impact of social media on risk communication into dialogue enabler, “speak from power” booster, “speak to power” channel and mass media alternative.

Tourism Disaster Risk Communication: Foreign Employees’ Preparedness and Involvement in the Japanese Accommodation Industry

ABSTRACT Tourism operators play an important role in risk communication during a natural disaster. This study focussed on foreign employees in the Japanese accommodation industry and explored their preparedness for natural disasters and involvement in the disaster risk communication process. Adopting the mental models approach as the basis for the investigation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with foreign employees working at traditional Japanese-style inns (ryokan). The results indicated that foreign workers often do not receive training on how to handle natural disasters at work and are excluded from the risk communication process. Furthermore, their knowledge of local hazards was limited. As this is a timely and important topic, future research directions are proposed to extend discussion on this topic further.

Risk Communication After Health Care Exposures: An Experimental Vignette Survey With Patients.

Purpose. We investigated how health care systems should communicate with patients about possible exposures to blood-borne pathogens that may have occurred during their care. Our goal was to determine how best to communicate uncertain risk information in a way that would minimize harm to patients, maintain their trust, and encourage patients to seek follow-up treatment. Methods. Participants (N = 1103) were randomized to receive one of six vignette surveys; 997 (98.4%) responded. All vignettes described the same event, but differed by risk level and recommendations (lower risk v. higher risk) and by communication mode (telephone, letter, social media). We measured participants’ perceived risk of blood-borne infection, trust in the health care system, and shared decision making about next clinical steps. Open-ended questions were analyzed using grounded thematic analysis. Results. When the vignette requested patients to undergo testing and practice certain health behaviors (higher risk), participants’ likelihood of seeking follow-up testing for blood-borne pathogens and their understanding of health issues increased. Perceived trust was unaffected by risk level or communication processes. Qualitative data indicated a desire for telephone communication from providers known to the patient. Limitations. It is not clear whether higher risk language or objective risk levels in vignettes motivated patients’ behavioral intentions. Conclusion. Using higher risk language when disclosing large-scale adverse events increased participants’ willingness to seek follow-up care. Implications. Health care organizations’ disclosures should focus on the next steps to take after health care exposures. This communication should involve helping patients to understand their personal health issues better, make them feel that they know which steps to take following the receipt of this information, and encouraging them to seek follow-up infectious disease testing in order to better take care of themselves.

Mining Disasters in Brazil

The ruptures of two iron ore dams in two municipalities of southeastern Brazil have caused immeasurable economic, social, and environmental damages. This case report describes the ruptures of Mariana dam in 2015 and the Brumadinho dam in 2019, as well as their causes and consequences. The companies responsible for managing the dams are Mineradora Samarco and Vale S.A. We analyze the “Risk and Disaster Communication” activities implemented by those companies. Moreover, it was difficult to access information about the affected communities, as the responsible companies failed to communicate throughout the incidents. As a result of this lack of communication and searching for answers and strategies to ensure a space capable of expanding access to information in an updated and reliable way for the population of the affected territories, we developed the Disaster Information Monitoring System (SIGDesastre). We think that by mapping communication devices and concentrating them in a virtual space it is possible to elicit nonhegemonic discourse, creating new knowledge and contributing to improvements in the risk communication process.

Response to reviews of Containing Contagion by Sara E. Davies

It was always known that implementing the IHR was going to be a long and difficult journey for many countries in the region, one pursued alongside other equally important health goals such as universal health care and vaccination coverage The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the cost of failing to incorporate a human rights framework as one of the essential core capacity requirements for meeting the IHR The Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Infectious Diseases (APSED) was developed to assist the two regional offices member states come to grips with the capacities required under the revised IHR I found that though there were profound differences between them, overall, ASEAN states had responded positively to the concept of shared infectious disease surveillance and the reporting of infectious disease outbreaks, both endemic and emerging diseases, to neighbouring states [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

Mapping the coordination and cooperation mechanisms of risk communication on feed/food safety in the EU.

The mapping of the EU coordination and cooperation mechanisms of risk communication in the field of food safety (i.e. encompassing all matters pertaining to the feed and food chain) was conducted for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following a mandate by the European Commission, to inform the General Plan for Risk Communication that the Commission will set out. This study focuses on communication activities in 'peacetime' situations (i.e. non-crisis) on the published outputs of risk assessment and risk management. This is a specific part of the risk communication process defined in the General Food Law. Data were collected through an online survey of competent authority organisations involved in risk communication at national and regional levels in the EU-27 Member States and Norway; and interviews with selected organisations at Member State, EU and international levels. Based on these data, this report provides an overview of the current information flow of risk communication, in terms of whether and how organisations at all levels receive, produce, and disseminate risk communication material. The existing flows in each country are described and mapped in flow charts. Flows are also presented for each of the EU/international organisations involved in risk communication on food safety. A number of relevant networks are identified that actively engage in sharing/exchanges of risk communication material on food safety, including networks managed by EFSA. This project also highlighted certain challenges in current risk communication systems, and recommendations are made to address them. At national level, these are: an increase in resources dedicated to coordinating communication on EU food safety issues, to improve capacity to undertake this task; strengthen the cooperation and coordination between authorities involved in risk communication activities to ensure a more proactive approach. In addition, recommendations are provided to enhance further collaboration of communication activities at all levels (between Member States and with EFSA; between EU Agencies), so that the coordination of risk communication at EU level follows a partnership approach.

No heat, no electricity, no water, oh no!: an IDEA model experiment in instructional risk communication

Instructional communication is a vital component of the risk communication process. Without adequate instruction, individuals are less likely to understand, value, and follow guidelines for protecting themselves and their loved ones. The IDEA model (internalization, distribution, explanation, and action), applied successfully in crisis communication, has shown promise for use in instructional risk communication, as well. More specifically, it may address challenges that have plagued risk managers for decades regarding how to promote effective risk preparedness decisions in the midst of uncertainty and lack of understanding about perceived risk relevance. This study tested the effectiveness of the IDEA model for designing instructional messages in a risk preparedness campaign in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The campaign was designed to enhance citizens’ preparedness in case of a crisis where the supply of heat, water, and electricity would be out for three days. A post-test only quasi-experimental cross-sectional survey research design conducted on data collected from 1876 survey participants revealed that citizens viewing a message adhering to the IDEA model components (treatment) had significantly more comprehension (i.e. cognitive learning) and found the message significantly more relevant and useful (i.e. affective learning) than those viewing a status quo (control) message. Practical applications and suggestions for future research are also provided.