Level Of Perceived Risk Research Articles

Perception of strong social norms during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to positive psychological outcomes

Social norms can coordinate individuals and groups during collective threats. Pandemic-related social norms (e.g., wearing masks, social distancing) emerged to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, little is known about the psychological consequences of the emerging norms. We conducted three experiments cross-culturally, during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in China (Study 1), the recovery period in China (Study 2), and the severe period in the United States and Canada (Study 3). Across the three studies, we first distinguished the opposite effects of social norms and risk perception on individuals’ psychological characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic and further revealed that individuals who perceived stronger pandemic norms reported a lower level of COVID-19 risk perception, which in turn would be associated with fewer negative emotions, lower pressure, more positive emotions, higher levels of trusts, and more confidence in fighting against COVID-19. Our findings show that perceived tighter social norms are linked to beneficial psychological outcomes. This research helps governments, institutions, and individuals understand the mechanism and benefits of social norms during the pandemic, thereby facilitating policy formulation and better responses to social crises.

Associations between Awareness of the Risk of Exposure to Pollutants Occurring at Fire Scenes and Health Beliefs among Metropolitan Firefighters in the Republic of Korea.

Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to various pollutants that occur at fire scenes. There are three levels of exposure: primary exposure to pollutants, secondary exposure to pollutants on personal protective equipment (PPE), and tertiary exposure to contaminated fire stations and fire engines due to pollutants on PPE. Therefore, it is important for firefighters to be aware of the risk of exposure to pollutants and to practice health behaviors such as appropriate PPE management. No clear association has been established in the existing literature between firefighters’ risk perception level and their health beliefs about the health impact of awareness of exposure to hazardous substances at fire scenes. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between awareness of the exposure risk to primary, secondary, and tertiary pollutants and health beliefs. It was designed as a cross-sectional study, in which a web-based survey was conducted from 13 May to 31 May 2021. The analysis was conducted in 1940 firefighters working in the Seoul metropolis who agreed to participate in the research. Participants who perceived susceptibility were likely to be aware of the primary (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–3.80), secondary (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.77–4.32), and tertiary (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.85–4.03) exposure risks. Participants who perceived barriers were unlikely to be aware of the risk of exposure to primary (AOR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.49–0.91), secondary (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.96), and tertiary (AOR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.91) pollutants. Educational intervention is recommended to improve perceived susceptibility and awareness of the risk of exposure to pollutants and reduce perceived barriers. Consequently, educational intervention is expected to positively impact firefighters’ management of appropriate PPE. We confirmed an association between occupational exposure risk and firefighters’ health beliefs. In the health belief model (HBM), health beliefs that affect health behavior also affect awareness of the exposure risk level. Therefore, an intervention for health beliefs can also be used to raise job-related exposure risk awareness. Regular training on the health impacts of fire scenes is necessary for both newcomers and incumbents to enable firefighters to better recognize the risks of each occupational exposure level. Additionally, laws and regulations are necessary for the removal of harmful substances that contaminate PPE, such as self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), during exposure to a fire scene. Our research can be used as a basis for improving fire policies and education programs in the future.

Consumers' Knowledge and Handling Practices Associated with Fresh-Cut Produce in the United States.

Previous studies have shown that three factors influence fresh-cut produce safety from farm to fork: (1) post-harvest practices in processing facilities, (2) employees’ handling practices in retail facilities, and (3) consumers’ handling practices in domestic kitchens or cooking facilities. However, few studies have examined consumers’ food safety knowledge, risk perceptions, and their handling practices associated with fresh-cut produce. To fill this gap, the present study conducted a nationwide survey to assess U.S. consumers’ food safety knowledge, practices, and risk perception associated with fresh-cut produce among various demographic groups and investigated factors influencing consumers’ food safety practices related to fresh-cut produce. The results showed that consumers lack the knowledge and safe handling practices toward fresh-cut produce regarding storage hierarchy, surface cleaning and sanitizing, and time and temperature control of fresh-cut produce. The men and millennial consumers exhibit a lower level of safe fresh-cut produce handling practices. In addition, a significant interaction was observed between food safety knowledge and risk perceptions on consumers’ fresh-cut produce handling practices, such that food safety knowledge can transfer to practice more effectively for consumers with high levels of risk perception. The results can be utilized to design effective consumer food safety education tools for targeted audiences.

Younger adults tolerate more relational risks in everyday life as revealed by the general risk-taking questionnaire

A range of self-report questionnaires were developed to quantify one’s risk-taking (RT) tendency. Exploring people’s perceived risk level associated with negative risk behaviors is essential to develop a better understanding and intervention policies for RT. In the present study, we proposed a 2 × 10-item scale, namely, the general risk-taking questionnaire (GRTQ), to evaluate RT tendency and risk attitude among the general population by measuring people’s engagement in and perceptions toward 10 commonly known risky behaviors. A total of 2984 adults residing in 10 prefectures in Japan (age range = 20–59, 53.12% female) provided valid responses to an online survey. Apart from the factor analysis procedures, multivariate negative binomial regression models have been applied to investigate the relationship between RT engagement and perception. We obtained two identical factors, namely, personal risk and relational risk, for both scales of the GRTQ. Increased levels of RT engagement were found in younger, male, nonmarried, nonparent and urban respondents. Despite an overall negative correlation between RT engagement and perception, our model revealed a weaker linkage in the younger population for relational risk behaviors. Overall, we showed evidence that the GRTQ is an easy-to-administer, valid and reliable measure of RT for future clinical research.

“I Didn’t Know What They’re Gonna Do to Me: So That’s Why I Said No”: Why Youth Decline HIV Testing in Emergency Departments

Youth between the ages of 13 and 24 account for over 20% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States but are the least likely age group to be HIV tested in healthcare settings including the emergency department. This is in part due to the fact that almost 50% of youth decline testing when offered. We elucidated youth patients’ perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of routine HIV testing of youth in an urban emergency department setting. Thirty-seven patients aged 13–24 years were recruited from the pediatric and adult emergency departments at a high-volume hospital in New York City from August 2019 to March 2020. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with all participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were coded using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Youths’ main reasons for declining HIV testing when offered included low risk perception, privacy concerns, HIV-related stigma, and low levels of HIV-related knowledge. Participants’ responses suggested that HIV educational materials provided when testing is offered may be insufficient. Participants recommended providing additional HIV education and better incorporating HIV testing into the emergency department routine to increase testing among youth. Efforts are needed to help youth recognize their own HIV risk and increase their HIV-related knowledge. This may be accomplished by providing youth with additional educational materials on HIV, possibly via tablet-based interventions or other methods that may enhance privacy, combined with discussions with healthcare providers. Such efforts may help increase HIV testing acceptance among youth seen in the emergency department.

The Association between Risk Perception and Hesitancy toward the Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine among People Aged 60 Years and Older in China.

Background: Given the prevalence of the omicron variant and decreased immunity provided by vaccines, it is imperative to enhance resistance to COVID-19 in the old population. We planned to explore the hesitancy rate toward the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the association between risk perception and the abovementioned rate among people aged 60 and older. Methods: This national cross-sectional study was conducted in mainland China from 25 May to 8 June 2022, targeting people who were 60 years old or above. Four dimensions were extracted from the Health Belief Model (HBM) to assess participants’ perceived risk levels, including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, and perceived benefit. An independent Chi-square test was used to compare the vaccine hesitancy rates among different groups stratified by characteristics. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to explore the associations between risk perception and hesitancy rate. Results: Of 3321 participants, 17.2% (95% CI: 15.9–18.5%) were hesitant about booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines. Believing that they were ineligible for vaccination due to certain illnesses (38.3%), concern about vaccine safety (32.0%), believing the booster shots were unnecessary (33.1%), and their limitation on movements (28.0%) were the main reasons for vaccine hesitation. Adjusted by all the selected covariates, people with low perception level of susceptibility (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.00–1.92) and benefit (low: aOR = 3.31, 95% CI: 2.01–5.45; moderate: aOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.75–2.85) were less likely to receiving the booster dose, and the same results were found in people with higher perceived barriers (moderate: aOR = 2.67, 95% CI: 2.13–3.35; high: aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.14–3.67). Our estimates were stable in all four models. Conclusions: In total, 17.2% of the people aged 60 years and older in China were hesitant about booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines, and it was closely associated with a lower level of perceived susceptibility and benefit, as well as a higher level of perceived barriers. Concerns about contraindications, vaccine safety, and limited movements were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Targeted public health measure is a priority to improve the understanding of the elderly on their own susceptibility and vulnerability and clear the obstacles to vaccination.

Understanding the "Sometimes Masker": Political Orientation and Trust in the Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has brought to light the problematic way partisan politics interferes with public health prevention and control measures. This study aims to investigate how Americans responded to the novel coronavirus with respect to their sociopolitical identity and masking habits.Study DesignThis mixed-methods study incorporated three ethnographic projects and surveys together, from two rural areas (in Iowa and California) and one suburban community in California.MethodsWe interviewed 156 Americans about how masking habits related to six themes: participants’ perceived risk level, concern for themselves and others, support for President Trump, trust in scientific organizations, and confidence in major news outlets. We conducted content analysis of qualitative interviews and evaluated survey questions to understand how and why people masked or engaged in public health prevention practices.ResultsGreater perceived risk, concern for others, and trust in health and media institutions was correlated with increased masking, while support for Trump was predictive of anti-masking sentiments. Participants who diverged from these trends, specifically those who sometimes wore masks, but not always were called “sometimes maskers”. These sometimes maskers often identified as politically moderate and were more likely to mask due to concern for a vulnerable person or group in their lives.ConclusionsSince one in three Americans are political moderates, understanding what promotes their adherence to public health guidelines is essential for policy makers interested in pandemic containment. Relatedly, the conservative tendency to distrust mainstream media is what separated those who reported sometimes masking from those who reported always masking.

Are We Vulnerable? Climate Risk Perception and Vulnerability of Small and Medium Size Agricultural Enterprises in China

ABSTRACT As management is critical in a company’s strategic development and operation, managers are the main decision-making body of small and medium size agricultural enterprises in response to climate change, it is essential to understand and improve the level of climate risk perception as well as perceived climate vulnerability of corporate directors. Climate risk perception stresses risk identification while perceived vulnerability highlights risk management. Through literature review, the research proposes a measurement method for climate risk perception and perceived vulnerability of corporate management, constructs their influencing factors index system, and employs an online questionnaire to collect data for quantitative analysis. The study finds influencing factors of climate risk perception of managers include individual education level, environmental values, environmental concern, enterprise operation capability, and exposure to media. Contrary to research findings of objective vulnerability, objective adaptability of enterprises exerts no significant impact on enterprise vulnerability; whereas climate risk perception and perceived adaptability of managers impact on enterprise vulnerability negatively. To reduce the vulnerability of agricultural SMEs under climate change, this research urges to improve climate risk perception of managers by tailored climate information dissemination through diversified media channels and improve the efficiency of environmental laws and regulations. Keywords: Risk perception, Perceived vulnerability, Climate change, Management personnel, Agricultural enterprises

Differences between risk perception and risk-taking are related to impulsivity levels

BackgroundAlthough there is broad agreement that perceived risks determine risk-taking behavior, previous research has shown that this association may not be as straightforward as expected. The main objective of this study was to investigate if the levels of impulsivity can explain part of these controversial findings. MethodA total of 1579 participants (Mage = 23.06, from 18 to 60 years; 69.4% women) were assessed for levels of risk perception, risk-taking avoidance, and impulsivity. ResultsThe results showed that while impulsivity was significantly and negatively related to both risk perception and risk-taking avoidance, the relationship with risk-taking avoidance was significantly stronger than with risk perception. The levels of impulsivity predicted risk-taking avoidance even when controlling for risk perception. ConclusionsThese findings indicate that impulsivity can differentially affect risk perception and risk-taking. We propose that the stronger influence of impulsivity on risk-taking is due to the greater reliance of risk-taking, compared with risk perception, on automatic processes guided by impulses and emotions.

Risk Perception as a Mediator in Explaining the Relationship of Cognitive Biases and New Venture Creation

The study investigates the role of risk perception in mediating the association of certain important cognitive biases such as overconfidence, illusion of control, optimism and planning fallacy with new venture creation. The study collected responses through questionnaires from 375 entrepreneurs in Central India. Partial least squares path modelling has been used to gauge the way these variables are connected. This study finds only the illusions of control and optimism to have lowered the perceptions of risk, and this lowering has resulted in the creation of a new venture. However, contrary to past studies, overconfidence and planning fallacy are directly linked with the decision to start a new project. Careful assessment of the levels of risk perception may enable entrepreneurs to minimise the cognitive biases, and they can constructively get engaged in the performance of the venture.

A Survey on Junior Nurses’ Risk Perception Level and Its Influencing Factors

[Objective] Junior nurses’ perceived risk level may affect their career satisfaction and performances. This study sought to investigate the current situation of risk perception level of junior nurses with undergraduate degrees and to determine its influencing factors, with the aim to provide a reference for nursing managers to carry out targeted training and education for junior nurses. [Methods] A total of 484 junior nurses with undergraduate degrees from five tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province were selected by the convenience sampling method as the research participants. The general information questionnaire, risk perception questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) scale were used for the survey. [Results] The enrolled junior nurses scored 85.84±13.56 (Full score was 100) on the risk perception survey. Working years, positive and negative affect, gender, and personality characteristics were the main influencing factors for junior nurses’ risk perception levels (P<0.05). [Conclusions] Junior nurses' risk perception was at a moderate and acceptable level. However, their risk perception was higher in dimensions such as physical function, occupational exposure, and time. Therefore, nursing managers should pay attention to high-risk perception items, and targeted measures should be taken according to different characteristics of nurses to improve their ability to correctly recognize risks and eliminate negative emotions in order to improve the quality of nursing services.

Knowledge, Preventive Behaviour and Risk Perception about COVID-19 in Health Care Professional Students

Background: With 3.95 lakhs of active COVID-19 cases in India and Tamilnadu being the second-largest hub of COVID-19, the health and social impact on the public, especially the health care warriors would be considerable. Objective: To evaluate and compare the levels of knowledge, preventive behaviour and risk perception of South Indian Health Care Professional(HCP) Students regarding COVID-19.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a tertiary care centre and teaching hospital in May-June 2020 amongst 873 students pursuing various HCP courses. The questionnaire comprised four sections - demographic details, COVID–19 related knowledge, preventive behaviour and risk perception. Results: Females volunteered to complete the survey (n= 623; 71.4%) more than males (n= 250; 28.6%). Most participants had received awareness about COVID-19 (n=860; 98.5%) from many resources of information. While females (97.50 ± 8.94) had significantly higher scores on items for preventive behaviour than males (94.7±15.55; p=0.006), the scores were similar for knowledge and risk perception. There was a statistically significant difference in risk perception among various courses with students pursuing Pharmacy having higher risk perception. Items regarding the use of masks in general and hospital setups and availability of antivirals for COVID-19 received many incorrect responses. Conclusions: HCP students presented with high levels of COVID-19 related knowledge and preventive behaviour, but moderate risk perception. Continuing education programs and preventive behavioural training are the need of the hour to strengthen the knowledge and alleviate the anxiety of HCP students towards the pandemic.

New Insights Into the Social Rumor Characteristics During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

BackgroundIn the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, several social rumors in the form of false news, conspiracy theories, and magical cures had ever been shared and spread among the general public at an alarming rate, causing public panic and increasing the complexity and difficulty of social management. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the characteristics and the driving factors of the social rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsBased on a sample of 1,537 rumors collected from Sina Weibo's debunking account, this paper first divided the sample into four categories and calculated the risk level of all kinds of rumors. Then, time evolution analysis and correlation analysis were adopted to study the time evolution characteristics and the spatial and temporal correlation characteristics of the rumors, and the four stages of development were also divided according to the number of rumors. Besides, to extract the key driving factors from 15 rumor-driving factors, the social network analysis method was used to investigate the driver-driver 1-mode network characteristics, the generation driver-rumor 2-mode network characteristics, and the spreading driver-rumor 2-mode characteristics.ResultsResearch findings showed that the number of rumors related to COVID-19 were gradually decreased as the outbreak was brought under control, which proved the importance of epidemic prevention and control to maintain social stability. Combining the number and risk perception levels of the four types of rumors, it could be concluded that the Creating Panic-type rumors were the most harmful to society. The results of rumor drivers indicated that panic psychology and the lag in releasing government information played an essential role in driving the generation and spread of rumors. The public's low scientific literacy and difficulty in discerning highly confusing rumors encouraged them to participate in spreading rumors.ConclusionThe study revealed the mechanism of rumors. In addition, studies involving rumors on different emergencies and social platforms are warranted to enrich the findings.

The Moderating Effect of COVID-19 Risk Perception on the Relationship Between Empathy and COVID-19 Volunteer Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jiangsu, China.

The health system has encountered great challenges since the COVID-19 outbreak, volunteers are urgently needed in every situation during this crisis. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior, along with the moderating role of COVID-19 risk perception in the above relationship. The cross-sectional survey was conducted online using Wenjuanxing from February 12th to March 16th, 2021, in Jiangsu, China. A total of 1,486 participants completed the Toronto Empathy COVID-19 volunteer behavior and COVID-19 risk perception questionnaires. The SPSS PROCESS macro was yielded to examine the moderating effect. Simple slopes analysis was conducted to detect the associations between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior at three levels of the COVID-19 risk perception. The Johnson-Neyman (J-N) technique was used to calculate where the moderating effect is significance. Results showed that empathy was positively related with COVID-19 volunteer behavior (β= 0.080, p < 0.001). COVID-19 risk perception played a moderation effect on association between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior (β = −0.005, p < 0.001), the greater the levels of COVID-19 risk perception, the weaker the associations between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior. The J-N test showed the association between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior was no longer significant when values of COVID-19 risk perception was >10.71. Current findings could enlighten researchers and policy makers, that fostering volunteerism among public during crisis situation through arousing more empathy and reducing unnecessary risk perception of the public.

Direct and indirect pathways for the spread of African swine fever and other porcine infectious diseases: An application of the mental models approach.

In this study, we investigated the occurrence of direct and indirect infectious disease transmission pathways among pig farms in Switzerland, as well as their specific relevance for the spread of African swine fever, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), and enzootic pneumonia. Data were collected using an adapted mental models approach, involving initial interviews with experts in the field of pig health and logistics, semi-structured interviews with pig farmers, and a final expert workshop, during which all identified pathways were graded by their predicted frequency of occurrence, their likelihood of spread of the three diseases of interest, and their overall relevance considering both parameters. As many as 24 disease pathways were identified in four areas: pig trade, farmer encounters, external collaborators, and environmental or other pathways. Two thirds of the pathways were expected to occur with moderate-to-high frequency. While both direct and indirect pig trade transmission routes were highly relevant for the spread of the three pathogens, pathways from the remaining areas were especially important for PRRS due to higher spread potential via aerosols and fomites. In addition, we identified factors modifying the relevance of disease pathways, such as farm production type and affiliation with trader companies. During the interviews, we found varying levels of risk perception among farmers concerning some of the pathways, which affected adherence to biosecurity measures and were often linked to the degree of trust that farmers had towards their colleagues and external collaborators. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating indirect disease pathways into existing surveillance and control strategies and in disease modelling efforts. We also propose that biosecurity training aimed at professionals and risk communication campaigns targeting farmers should be considered to mitigate the risk of disease spread through the identified pathways.

Foot Self-Care Behaviours and the Level of Perceived Risk of Amputation in Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Diabetic foot which is one of the complications of diabetes may develop in parallel with the frequency of diabetes.Objective: To determine the factors affecting foot self-care behaviours and amputation risk perception levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.Methods: The descriptive and correlational study included 157 individuals who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for at least six months and had no previous diabetic foot and previous amputation history. The data were obtained by using patient diagnosis form, Foot Self-care Behaviour Scale and perceived risk of amputation evaluation form.Results: The total score of the participants from the Foot Self-Care Behaviour Scale was found to be below the mean value (37.95±8.93). It was determined that individuals, who had the disease for more than ten years and were informed on the disease, foot health and care by physician or nurse, had better foot care behaviours (p&lt;0.05). The average amputation risk perception evaluation score was found to be very low (4.87±10.08) and 61.8% stated that they had no risk for amputation. In addition, no significant difference was found between the glycemic control parameters and the amputation risk perception levels of the individuals (p&gt;0.05).Conclusion: It was determined that the individuals did not have good foot self-care behaviours, that disease duration and being informed on foot self-care affected foot self-care behaviours and that their amputation risk perception level was very low.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 06 No. 03 July’22 Page: 280-288

Impact of Social Media Exposure on Risk Perceptions, Mental Health Outcomes, and Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Social media has played a key role in mediating the communication of information during the COVID-19 pandemic. The way information is shared through social media shapes people’s risk perceptions, which in turn affects their mental health and behaviors. This study aimed to assess social media’s impact on the public’s risk perceptions, mental health, and preventive behaviors during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Web-based survey was developed to assess social media exposure, risk perceptions, mental health, and COVID-19-related preventive behaviors among adults in Saudi Arabia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between social media exposure and key measurements. Results: A total of 1,500 individuals participated in the study; of those, 93.2% of participants reported using social media for COVID-19-related information. Twitter (68.3%) followed by Snapchat (25.1%) were the most used platforms. About 44.4% of participants were highly exposed to social media. High social media exposure was significantly associated with higher risks of anxiety (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.19–2.05) and depression (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.01–2.81) and higher levels of COVID-19 risk perception (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.08–1.89). However, social media has no significant impact on the adoption of preventive behaviors. Discussion/Conclusion: Our results were consistent with the other international studies that were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The anticipated future increase in social media use urges the need for longitudinal studies to investigate the psychological and behavioral effects of social media during emerging pandemics.

Mobile phone carrying locations and risk perception of men: A cross-sectional study.

Little was known about the relationship between carrying mobile phone handsets by men and their risk perception of radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure due to carrying handsets close to the body. This study aimed to determine where men usually carried their handsets and to assess the relationship to risk perception of RF-EMF. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire about mobile phone use, handset carrying locations, and levels of risk perception to RF-EMF. Data were analysed using linear regression models to examine if risk perception differed by mobile phone carrying location. The participants were 356 men, aged 18-72 years. They owned a mobile phone for 2-29 years, with over three quarters (78.7%) having a mobile phone for over 20 years. The most common locations that men kept their handsets when they were 'indoors' were: on a table/desk (54.0%) or in close contact with the body (34.7%). When outside, 54.0% of men kept the handset in the front trouser pocket. While making or receiving calls, 85.0% of men held their mobile phone handset against the head and 15.0% either used earphones or loudspeaker. Men who carried their handset in close contact with the body perceived higher risks from RF-EMF exposure compared to those who kept it away from the body (p<0.01). A substantial proportion of men carried their mobile phone handsets in close proximity to reproductive organs i.e. front pocket of trousers (46.5%). Men who kept their handset with the hand (p < .05), and those who placed it in the T-shirt pocket (p < .05), while the phone was not in use, were more likely to perceive health risks from their behaviour, compared to those who kept it away from the body. However, whether this indicates a causal relationship, remains open.

Risk perception among health science students about the use of chemicals

The activities of health professionals foresee the constant contact and handling of chemical agents. Therefore, knowledge about chemical risk is essential for personal safety both in the work environment and in the teaching environment. This research aimed to understand the perception of students in the health area about the risks related to the presence of chemicals in their study and/or work environment. This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, carried out in a private institution of Higher Education (HEI) in the city of Brasília (Brazil), with students from biomedicine, biological sciences and nursing, with the application of a questionnaire. Results showed that students are more concerned with social issues such as pedophilia or racial intolerance than those related to the presence of chemicals. Most students mentioned cancer as an issue of concern, but the absence of risk perception is observed in issues considered to be of little concern, such as cigarette use. Regarding the hazardous nature of chemicals and professional activities, vaccination, antibiotics, blood tests, ethyl alcohol and iodine were considered as non-hazardous. Although these may also present risks to professional health, the results showed that the students did not perceive them as risks. The obtained data indicate that most students have a low level of risk perception in the presence of chemicals, and it is suggested that questions about toxicology and biosafety should be intensified during the academic training process.

Change in breast cancer risk perception related to perceived COVID-19 risk: A WISDOM sub-population analysis.

e24135 Background: Obstacles to access to care due to the perceptions of the risk posed by COVID-19 have led to unprecedented disruptions in cancer care. Yet, little is understood about whether perceived COVID-19 risk influences perceptions of cancer risk. We examined how COVID-19 risk perception was associated with perceptions of breast cancer risk over one year of the pandemic among women enrolled in the WISDOM study, a PCORI-funded pragmatic trial testing risk-based cancer screening that began before the pandemic. Methods: We conducted four longitudinal surveys among the 13,002 women enrolled in the WISDOM study from May - December 2020. Responses from 8,285 women are eligible for inclusion in this analysis leading to a total sample size of 16,859 survey responses. Surveys were conducted online and asked women’s perceived lifetime chance of developing breast cancer (0-100%). COVID-19 risk perception was reported on a 5-point scale from Very Low to Very High. We computed the difference between breast cancer risk perception at each COVID-19 survey to pre-COVID breast cancer risk perception, measured as a secondary aim of the WISDOM study, and compared that to COVID-19 risk perception at each time point. Results: Across the four survey waves, most women perceived low COVID risk: 29% very low, 42% moderately low, 23% neither high nor low and 6% high or very high. Overall, breast cancer risk perception declined for those with very low COVID-19 risk perception and rose for women in the highest levels of COVID-19 risk perception. However, changes in breast cancer risk perception associated with COVID risk perception were small. For example, in survey wave 4, breast cancer risk change was -2.4% very low, -1.4% low, 2.5% not high or low and 3.1% high or very high. (Table). Conclusions: Among women participating in a pragmatic trial testing risk-based cancer screening, COVID risk perception had a small relationship with change in breast cancer risk perception. Change in breast cancer risk perception paralleled COVID-19 risk perception. This calls for exploration of the underpinnings of these risk changes and may have implications for changes in cancer screening behavior related to COVID-19.[Table: see text]