Risk Perception In Relation Research Articles

Changes in the Intention to Return and the Related Risk Perception Among Residents and Evacuees of Tomioka Town 11 Years After the Fukushima Nuclear Accident.

This study examined temporal trends in risk perception and intention to return to Tomioka among residents and evacuees with the aim of aiding community recovery. Responses to questionnaires distributed in 2017 and 2021 were compared regarding demographic information, intention to return to Tomioka, desire to consult radiation experts, and risk perception such as anxiety about food consumption, drinking tap water, self-health, and genetic effects. Questionnaires were distributed to all persons registered with the Tomioka town council, both current residents and evacuees. In 2021, the proportion of responders who had already returned/ wanted to return and those who did not want to return increased by 3.2% and 6.8% respectively, and the proportion unsure about returning decreased by 10.1%. Anxiety for self-health decreased by 15.4%, for genetic effects decreased by 24.4%, for food consumption decreased by 30.9%, and the latter 2 remained significant factors among responders unsure of returning and among those who did not want to return in 2021. Risk perception for food and genetic effects was significantly associated with uncertainty about returning or not returning. There is a need for continual monitoring of risk perception trends and implementation of targeted risk communication strategies.

Does Risk Perception Endogenously Cause Smokers to Switch to Smoking Smuggled Cigarettes?

Risk perception is a crucial component in evaluating the rationality of smoking decisions, but there are few studies that have examined its effect on the smoking of smuggled cigarettes. The purpose of this article is to empirically investigate whether risk perceptions affect the smoking of smuggled cigarettes in Taiwan in the context of socio-economic status. Since risk perception may be endogenous with regard to smoking smuggled cigarettes, the endogenous switching model is utilised to evaluate the effect of risk perception in relation to the smoker’s being concerned with health risks and tobacco quality. Our empirical results indicate that smokers with higher degrees of risk perception are less likely to smoke smuggled cigarettes. In addition, the relevant characteristics of the socio-economic status of smokers, such as weekly cigarette expenditure, gender, age, and whether or not they reside in the southern region of Taiwan, are also statistically significant in terms of smoking smuggled cigarettes. Therefore, the public health authorities in Taiwan should actively broadcast information on the fatal consequences of smoking smuggled cigarettes, thereby enhancing the smoker’s risk perceptions in regard to smuggled cigarettes. JEL Classif ication: I12, I18, D81, C25

US adult smokers’ perceived relative risk on ENDS and its effects on their transitions between cigarettes and ENDS

BackgroundPerceived risk reduction motivates smokers to switch to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). This research examines US smokers’ relative risk perceptions and their prospective association with various behavioral stages of switching to ENDS.MethodsData from the nationally representative, longitudinal Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Adult survey, Waves 1 (2014) through 5 (2019), were analyzed. We assessed the association between the perceived risk of ENDS relative to cigarettes (“less harmful” vs. “equally harmful” or “more harmful”) and 1) adoption of ENDS (among never-ENDS-using smokers), 2) complete switching to ENDS (i.e., stopping smoking, among ever-ENDS-using smokers), and 3) avoiding reversion to smoking (among smokers who had switched to ENDS), at the next wave.ResultsThe proportion of US smokers perceiving ENDS as less harmful than cigarettes continually decreased, reaching 17.4% in Wave 5 (2019). Current smokers with such belief were more likely to adopt ENDS (aOR 1.31; 95% CI 1.15–1.50) and switch completely to ENDS (aOR 2.24; 95% CI 1.89–2.65) in the subsequent wave. Among smokers who had switched within the past year, such beliefs predicted avoidance of resumption of smoking in the next wave (aOR 0.55; 95% CI 0.33–0.93).ConclusionsSmokers’ beliefs about the relative risk of ENDS compared to cigarettes had a strong and consistent association with transitions between smoking and ENDS use. Addressing the growing misperception about ENDS has the potential to contribute to public health by encouraging smokers’ switching to ENDS.

COVID-19 skepticism and the perception of risk

A large group of people are receptive to COVID skeptic messages which can be linked to lower levels of perceived risk and uncompliant behavior. Using a survey instrument targeting young adults, which we repeated during the second and fourth waves of COVID-19, we explored how various psychological factors affect risk perception and to what degree can these be linked to COVID skepticism. Our results suggest that higher skepticism is very strongly associated with a lower risk perception. Skepticism also mediates the effects of well-known antecedents of risk perception, such as individualism, pro-social attitudes and trust in scientists. We found that contracting the virus is associated with increased risk perception and increased skepticism, which is contradictory, but understandable considering our sample composition. Among those who had a family member or a friend contracting the virus we observed higher levels of perceived risk and lower skepticism. The longitudinal nature of our research highlights that the influence of trust in scientists and government are dependent on the public discourse, which naturally develops over time. Differences in risk perception based on gender, which is well established in the literature and significant in our first sample, have diminished by the time of our second sample, suggesting this effect could be crowded out as people’s understanding grows and beliefs form about the virus. The findings emphasize the importance of assessing skepticism not only for researchers studying COVID related risk perception and its psychological predictors, but also for policy makers combating hazardous scenarios like the pandemic.

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.

Ability of residents to assess relative risk from tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This paper compares relative risk perceptions of residents to inbound tourists from countries with different COVID-19 profiles. Results suggest residents are able to distinguish between COVID-19 risks based on the incidence of COVID-19 in the tourists’ source country. Residents’ risk perceptions were better aligned with the absolute number of cases (ignoring population size) in tourists’ country of origin than with the number of COVID cases per capita. This was primarily influenced by China’s relatively large population. The results suggest people can accurately assess relative risk, especially when the media provides quality information (as was the case for COVID-19 cases). By examining perceptions of residents rather than tourists, this paper adds new insights into tourism outcomes of successful crisis management, especially in the context of public health disasters.

Understanding the risk perception of visceral leishmaniasis exposure and the acceptability of sandfly protection measures among migrant workers in the lowlands of Northwest Ethiopia: a health belief model perspective

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the leading cause of health concerns among Ethiopian migrant workers. Understanding risk perception and health-protective behavior are significant challenges in the prevention and eradication of the disease. As a result, studies are required to assess these important epidemiological factors, which will provide guidance on how to assist migrant workers in taking preventive measures against VL.MethodWe conducted qualitative research among migrant workers on seasonal agricultural farms in Northwest Ethiopia between June and November 2019 to assess their perception of the risk of contracting VL and their willingness to use protective measures against the disease. Seventeen focus group discussions and 16 key informant interviews were conducted to study migrant workers’ risk perception in relation to sandfly bite exposure and use of sandfly control measures. For analysis, all interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated. ATLASti was used to perform qualitative content analysis on the data.ResultMigrant workers are fearful of VL because of previous exposure and the disease’s prevalence in the area. They believe, however, that VL is a minor illness that is easily treated. While Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) are widely accepted as a protective measure, there are still reservations about using them due to the seasonality of the transmission, difficulties in hanging them on farm areas, and a preference for alternative traditional practices. Regardless of perceived self-efficacy, the central cues were the message delivered by the health workers and an increase in sandfly bite irritation. Based on the findings, three levels of intervention modalities are suggested: 1) increasing pre-arrival awareness through outdoor media (posters, stickers, billboards), 2) encouraging proper use of protective measures upon arrival at farm camps, and 3) informing departing workers on disease recognition and best practices for health-seeking continuous use of protective measures at home.ConclusionThis finding suggests that VL prevention interventions should focus on individuals’ perceptions in order to promote consistent use of protective measures. The findings are highly useful in planning effective interventions against VL.

Exposure to e-cigarette health claims and association with e-cigarette use and risk perceptions: A cohort study of young adults

IntroductionE-cigarettes have been marketed illicitly as smoking cessation aids and reduced risk tobacco products in the United States. Our study assessed consumers’ exposure to such claims and evaluated their impact on relative risk perceptions and e-cigarette use. MethodsData are from the Assessment of the post-College Experience study, which followed a cohort of young adults since 2010 when they were college freshmen. We used data from survey waves 10 (fall 2017) through 14 (fall 2019) to assess past 6 month exposure to e-cigarette marketing that made smoking cessation or modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) claims. Logistic regression models examined if exposure to claims at waves 11 through 14 were predictors of e-cigarette use and relative risk perceptions at wave 14. ResultsExposure to MRTP (28.4% to 40.1%) and cessation claims (29.1% to 46.6%) increased, with participants reporting more exposure to cessation than MRTP claims at each wave. Multiple exposures were associated with perceptions that e-cigarettes are less harmful compared to cigarettes (Cessation: AOR = 1.12, CI: 1.01–1.23; p = 0.025; MRTP: AOR = 1.16; CI: 1.05–1.29; p = 0.003). Neither claim type was associated with past 30-day e-cigarette use. Claim exposure did not increase e-cigarette initiation among never e-cigarette users. However, current cigarette smokers who had never used e-cigarettes at wave 10 had 2.5 higher odds of initiating e-cigarette use by wave 14 for each exposure to a cessation claim (AOR = 2.53; CI: 1.43–4.45; p = 0.001). ConclusionsYoung adults reported increasing exposure to unauthorized e-cigarette health claims. Exposure was associated with reduced relative risk perceptions, but was not associated with past 30-day e-cigarette use. Cessation claims may motivate current cigarette smokers to try e-cigarettes.

Financiers' perceptions of risk in relation to large hydropower projects

Abstract More renewable electricity generation capacity will be needed to support progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement objective in lower income and lower-middle income countries (LICs and L-MICs). In the context of declining availability of public sector finance for energy generation, there is a widespread expectation that much of the new generation capacity will need to be financed entirely by the private sector or through public-private-partnerships (PPPs). Sustainably developed large hydropower could play a vital role in a future electricity mix dominated by intermittent renewables. In addition to generating low-cost, low-carbon electricity at a large scale, hydropower is capable of delivering ancillary services that are needed to facilitate greater penetration of intermittent renewable electricity. However, concerns over social and environmental outcomes, uncertain financial returns and thus a widespread perception of large hydropower as a ‘high risk’ investment has so far made it difficult to attract private sector investment for such projects, especially in many LICs and L-MICs. This paper addresses the gap in the existing knowledge base by developing a conceptual analytical framework for public and private sector actors. The framework provides a structured approach to the analysis of risk which can aid governments, developers, lenders and investors in maximising the likelihood of a project obtaining sustainable finance. The findings suggest that many of the greatest risks associated with large PPP hydropower projects in LICs and L-MICs are those that can cause reputational damage to the involved parties, such as social and environmental risks. The results presented in this paper will enable governments and developers to take targeted action to reduce risk and thus facilitate more effective use of the PPP financing model for large renewable energy infrastructure projects in LICs and L-MICs where additional large-scale sustainable electricity generation capacity is most needed.

Environmentally responsible behaviour in outdoor recreation: the moderating impact of COVID-19 related risk perception

PurposeThis study examines the mediating role of motivation on outdoor recreation on the attitude–behavior and social marketing–behavior linkages. The paper scrutinizes the moderating impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk perception in transforming individual motivation on nature-based outdoor recreation into environmentally responsible behavior.Design/methodology/approachData were collected and conducted in Vietnamese National Parks. The dataset consists of 900 valid responses by domestic travelers. The research was operationalized using empirical data and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) and SPSS PROCESS analysis.FindingsFirst, this study confirms that outdoor recreation activities and business's marketing on social networks tend to transform into support for individual behavior in terms of protecting environment and having responsibility for environment. Second, the current paper also represents the academic efforts to contribute to outdoor recreation literature by explaining the current global problem that has caused serious upheaval in global society as well as individual life. The findings not only confirmed the mediating role of nature-based outdoor recreation motivation between attitude and behavior, but also examined the moderating effect of COVID-19 risk perception in the relationship between motivation and behavior.Originality/valueThe findings indicate the significant association of social marketing, environment attitudes, outdoor recreation motivation and environmentally responsible behavior. The findings not only confirmed the mediating role of nature-based outdoor recreation motivation between attitude and behavior, but also examined the moderating effect of COVID-19 risk perception in the relationship between motivation and behavior. These results provide key insights about examining visitors' behavior for environment protection during future infectious disease outbreaks.

The impact of risk perceptions and belief in conspiracy theories on COVID-19 pandemic-related behaviours.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories about the virus spread rapidly, and whilst governments across the globe put in place different restrictions and guidelines to contain the pandemic, these were not universally adhered to. This research examined the association between pandemic related risk perceptions, belief in conspiracy theories, and compliance with COVID-19 public guidelines amongst a UK sample (n = 368). Participants rated their level of concern for a series of potential risks during the pandemic (to the economy, personal health, freedom, media integrity and health risk to others). Participants also rated their level of belief in different conspiracy theories and self-reported their behaviour during the first UK lockdown. Mediational analyses showed that stronger belief in conspiracy theories was associated with perceptions of lower risk to health and higher risk to the economy and freedom, which in turn were associated with lower compliance with COVID-19 related governmental guidelines. Perception of information transparency risks did not mediate the association between belief in conspiracy theories and compliant behaviours. These results highlight the key role that risk perception may play in translating belief in conspiracy theories into low compliance with governmental COVID-19 related guidelines. Our findings suggest new patterns with respect to the relationship between conspiracy theory adherence and salience of different risk perceptions amidst the pandemic, which could have implications for the development of public health messaging and communication interventions.

COVID-19 Preventive Practices and their Relation to Knowledge, Attitude, and Risk Perception: Results of a Telephone Survey in Ethiopia

The first case of coronavirus was reported in Ethiopia on March 13, 2020, and the number of cases has been rising continually. This study examined the level and correlates of risk perception, knowledge, and attitude in relation to COVID-19 in Ethiopia. It also assessed the level of adoption of various preventive practices and their association with risk perception, knowledge, and attitude. The rapid assessment was made using data collected in a telephone survey. Correlates of knowledge, attitude, and risk/impact perception were assessed using Poisson regression. Econometric estimation was used to identify the correlations of knowledge, attitude, and risk/impact perception scores with the adoption of preventive practices. A total of 1,037 respondents participated in the survey. Although the level of knowledge about the pandemic was generally good among the population, a significant proportion of the population (the elderly and less educated) still do not have correct knowledge about the disease symptoms and means of transmission. Some respondents revealed unfavorable attitudes about the virus, and around two-thirds of respondents did not perceive the fast-expanding pandemic to be a major risk. A significant correlation was found between the adoption of preventive practices and knowledge, attitude, and impact perception in relation to COVID-19. Health education interventions would be more effective if they were to target certain demographic groups, such as the elderly and less educated, whose overall average knowledge about COVID-19 is lower. The use of a multiple media outlet for disseminating information on COVID-19 may improve choices and enhance knowledge.

Effects of Social Media Use for Health Information on COVID-19-Related Risk Perceptions and Mental Health During Pregnancy: Web-Based Survey.

BackgroundSocial media has become an important source of health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Very little is known about the potential mental impact of social media use on pregnant women.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the association between using social media for health information and risk perception for COVID-19, worry due to COVID-19, and depression among pregnant women in China.MethodsA total of 4580 pregnant women were recruited from various provinces of China. The participants completed a cross-sectional, web-based survey in March 2020.ResultsMore than one-third (1794/4580, 39.2%) of the participants reported always using social media for obtaining health information. Results of structural equation modeling showed that the frequency of social media use for health information was positively associated with perceived susceptibility (β=.05; P<.001) and perceived severity (β=.12; P<.001) of COVID-19, which, in turn, were positively associated with worry due to COVID-19 (β=.19 and β=.72, respectively; P<.001). Perceived susceptibility (β=.09; P<.001), perceived severity (β=.08; P<.001), and worry due to COVID-19 (β=.15; P<.001) all had a positive association with depression. Bootstrapping analysis showed that the indirect effects of frequency of social media use for health information on both worry due to COVID-19 (β=.09, 95% CI 0.07-0.12) and depression (β=.05, 95% CI 0.02-0.07) were statistically significant.ConclusionsThis study provides empirical evidence on how social media use for health information might have a negative impact on the mental health of pregnant women. Interventions are needed to equip this population with the skills to use social media properly and with caution.

Covid-19 Risk Perception of Travel Destination Development and Validation of a Scale

Although traveler risk perception is a widely used term in the hospitality and tourism literature, the pandemic related risk perception of tourist destination lacks a clear conceptualization and measurement. This study develops and validates a six item scale to measure Covid-19 risk perception of travel destinations. The scale is developed using multiple data collection methods including interviews, focus group, and survey questionnaires. The exploratory stage involved in-depth interviews and the subsequent quantitative stage gathered data through a survey questionnaire. The scale offers a framework for future empirical research on Covid-19 risk perception that will shape tourism decisions in years to come. Implications for hospitality industry and limitations are also discussed.

Psychological effects of COVID-19 outbreak in hospital workers during the Italian third phase

Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak, during the so-called phase three of the infection in Italy, in healthcare workers and other professionals working in the Public Hospital “SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo” in the Piedmont Region.Methods: A monocentric prospective observational study was conducted on 113 hospital workers by completing an online survey. Data were collected from 29th June to 20th July 2020. The survey assessed self-reported socio-demographic, clinical, work and COVID-19 related information and risk perception. Moreover, it included an online version of validated questionnaires in the Italian language: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced: COPE-NVI-25, and the Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOl-5).Results: The exploratory analysis revealed that hospital workers showed a high percentage of post-traumatic stress symptoms in the months following the beginning of the pandemic. In general, having higher levels of education seems to be associated with less anxiety, stress, depression insomnia e post-traumatic stress symptoms. Those symptoms were reported among those who had higher risk perception, previous psychological problems, or suffered from a chronic disease. Workers with more than 10 years experience and low risk perception reported less insomnia symptoms.Conclusions: The assessment of psychological effects of COVID-19 outbreak might help to create good practices that could be used and improved to implement focused interventions on workers’ well-being, especially during COVID-19 and post COVID-19 periods.

The Influence of Communication on College Students' Self-Other Risk Perceptions of COVID-19: A Comparative Study of China and the United States.

This study aimed to explore cross-country differences in the characteristics and determinations of self–other risk perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. We distinguished perceived risk to self from perceived risk to others and subdivided risk perceptions into three levels: personal, group, and societal. We focused on the differential impact of multiple communication channels (i.e., interpersonal communication, traditional media exposure, and new media exposure) on risk perceptions at the three levels. A sample of 790 college students completed self-report online questionnaires from May to June 2020, including 498 in China and 292 in the United States. The results showed an “ascending pattern,” revealing that participants perceived higher levels of risk to others than to themselves. In addition, U.S. college students perceived higher risks of COVID-19 than Chinese college students at all levels. As for the relations between communication and risk perceptions, the results revealed that interpersonal communication and traditional media exposure were more effective with Chinese participants, whereas new media exposure was more effective with U.S. participants. Specifically, interpersonal communication was positively associated with risk perceptions at three levels, and the magnitude of the effect was higher in the Chinese group than in the U.S. group. Traditional media exposure increased societal risk perception only for Chinese college students, and new media exposure increased societal risk perception only for U.S. college students. Our findings provide theoretical implications for the characteristics and forming mechanisms of risk perceptions and also provide practical implications for policymakers in the two countries to implement effective measures to foster individuals’ risk perceptions in relation to preventive behaviors.

Perceptual and Behavioral Response to COVID-19 Pandemic among Sri Lankan Undergraduates

COVID-19 has emerged as the most impactful pandemic after the Spanish flu. As communities adjust to a life with COVID-19 it has become essential to employ different behavioral mechanisms of prevention to curtail community transmission. Perceptual factors such as risk perception and locus of control play a role in the level of stress experienced and the likelihood of employing behavioral methods for the prevention of the spread of the virus. The present cross sectional study utilized four questionnaires measuring COVID-19 related risk perception, COVID-19 related stress, locus of control and adherence to safety measures. The sample consisted of 371 undergraduate students representing all academic years in the Faculty of Arts in the University of Peradeniya,Sri Lanka. A significant relationship was found between COVID-19 risk perception and COVID-19 stress. Increase in internal locus of control was reflective of lower levels of risk perception and COVID-19 related stress. However adherence to safety measures did not have a significant association with COVID-19 risk perception, COVID-19 related stress or their level of internal locus of control. COVID-19 risk perception was also predictive of COVID-19 stress while increasing internal locus of control and adherence to safety measures were not. This suggests perception of risk to be the key predictive factor for the psychological wellbeing of undergraduate students in this study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cultural worldviews consistently explain bundles of ecosystem service prioritisation across rural Germany

AbstractDifferences in ecosystem service (ES) priorities often lead to conflicts between stakeholders. While differences in priorities have often been described, the sociocultural factors, including differences in cultural worldview, which drive them have not. We propose that the cultural theory of risk and its ‘grid‐group’ typology, which classifies people as individualists, hierarchists, egalitarians and fatalists, can provide a conceptual framework for doing this.We examined the relationship between ES prioritisation by stakeholders and underlying cultural (cultural worldviews, and related environmental nature and risk perceptions), sociocultural (region, stakeholder group, political party preference) and socio‐demographic factors. This was achieved by applying multivariate statistics to data from a survey with 321 respondents, conducted across 14 stakeholder groups in three German regions.Results show that most stakeholders prioritised many services but gave the highest priority to services linked to their stakeholder group. We identified four ‘ES priority bundles’: cultural services, open‐land provisioning services, environmental protection services and forest provisioning services.Each ES priority bundle was consistently associated with particular cultural worldviews, perceptions of nature and sociocultural factors, meaning that we could identify ‘cultural types’. Two of these associations were particularly strong: Prioritisation of open‐land provisioning ES was high for the agriculture stakeholder group, associated with individualism, a perception of nature as durable but unpredictable, and support for economic liberal, conservative political parties. In contrast, those who prioritised environmental protection tended to hold egalitarian cultural worldviews and perceive nature as tolerant and sensitive. They also often belonged to the research and nature conservation stakeholder groups, with a mostly left‐leaning political party preference.The identification of cultural types of stakeholder with consistent ES priorities and cultural worldviews may provide a useful construct in the future ES research. Furthermore, it may allow communications regarding ES to be tailored to improve their effectiveness, potentially aiding the promotion of sustainable management strategies.A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

The impact of communication on women’s risk perceptions for osteoporosis in China

ABSTRACT Osteoporosis (OP) is an increasingly important public health issue, women constitute approximately 80% of those diagnosed with OP. Improved risk perception regarding OP is important for early prevention. This study aimed to examine the association among socio-demographic, communication related variables and risk perception regarding OP. An online survey with 950 participants was conducted. The survey comprised 19 questions pertaining to lifestyle, general health, bone fracture awareness and demographics. Bivariate analyses were used to examine unadjusted relations among socio-demographic, communication related variables and comparative perceived risk of OP. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to analyze the association between communication media exposure, information processing mode, educational level, self-efficacy and risk perception for OP. Results suggest that some socio-demographic variables (gender, educational level, income) and some communication relevant variables (communication media exposure, the ability to acquire information and systematic information processing) were positively associated with higher OP risk perception, while self-efficacy was negative factor. The study also showed that heuristic-systematic processing and self-efficacy were found to moderate the impact of communication media on risk perceptions. Improved understanding of the impact of communication on risk perception may aid in the development of effective intervention strategies to reduce the burden of OP.

Risk perception and information-seeking behavior during emergency: An exploratory study on COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

With the fluctuating condition of the pandemic, people's perception of COVID-19 is also inconstant. If people perceive a low risk of any health emergency or any other crisis, they won't look for proper information to change their attitude, which might increase their risk. Through the use of two different theories and a mixed-method approach, this study attempted to understand the current perception about COVID-19 and the relationship between risk perception and information-seeking behavior. Survey and in-depth key informant interviews were used as tools for data collection. The results indicated that COVID-19 related risk perception changes following people's demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Also, the study found out a relationship of variation in information-seeking behavior on the basis of factors like demographic characteristics, past experience of any emergency, salience, and belief. Results specified that people seek information differently when they perceive a risk to be of higher order. The study summarized that the information sought about any risk could also amplify or reduce the level of perceived risk. In the end, the study concluded that if people do not perceive the risk of any emergency and don't seek proper information, raising awareness about a pandemic like COVID-19 and managing the emergency will be challenging.