Risk Perception In Relation Research Articles

Deficiencies in public understanding about tobacco harm reduction: results from a United States national survey.

BackgroundTobacco products differ in their relative health harms. The need for educating consumers about such harms is growing as different tobacco products enter the marketplace and as the FDA moves to regulate and educate the public about different products. However, little is known about the patterns of the public’s knowledge of relative harms.MethodsData were analyzed from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 Cycle 2, a population-representative survey of US adults conducted between October 2012 and January 2013 (N = 3630). Participants reported their perceptions of the relative risks of e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and different types of cigarettes compared to “traditional” cigarettes. Relative risk perceptions for each product type, as well as the consistency and accuracy of harm reduction beliefs, were analyzed.ResultsAbout 65 % of the respondents accurately reported that no cigarettes were less harmful than any others. Slightly more than half of US adults perceived e-cigarettes to be safer than regular cigarettes, a belief in line with current scientific evidence. By contrast, only 9 % of respondents perceived some smokeless tobacco products to be safer, a belief strongly supported by the evidence. Only 3.5 % of respondents had patterns of relative risk perceptions in line with current scientific evidence for all three modalities.ConclusionsThe discrepancy between current evidence and public perceptions of relative risk of various tobacco/nicotine products was marked; for most tobacco types, a large proportion of the population held inaccurate harm reduction beliefs. Although there was substantial awareness that no cigarettes were safer than any other cigarettes, there could be benefits from increasing the percentage of the public that appreciates this fact, especially among current smokers. Given the potential benefits of tobacco risk reduction strategies, public health education efforts to increase understanding of basic harm reduction principles are needed to address these misperceptions.

The Effects of Perceived Risk and Cost on Technology Acceptance: A Study on Tourists’ Use of Online Booking

The aim of this study is to determine how tourists’ online booking sites related risk and cost perceptions affect their adoption level of this technology. In order to detect tourists’ adoption level, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adapted to online reservation technology. In this context, relationships between perceived risk, perceived cost, and the variables of TAM which are perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intentions were tested. The participants of the study were 242 Russian tourists visiting Antalya, which is an important touristic destination in Turkey. In the research, participants were determined with the convenience sampling method and the data was gathered through face to face survey method. In the analyses of relationships between and effects sizes of variables, Structural Equation Modeling was used. The results revealed that tourists’ risk perceptions about using online reservation technology have negative effects on TAM variables while cost perceptions have positive effects on these variables.

Determinants of first trimester combined test participation within the central region of the Netherlands.

Our objective is to study the association between potentially influential determinants and first-trimester combined test (FCT) uptake rates in the central region of the Netherlands. Data were extracted from the national prenatal screening database Peridos and the Netherlands Perinatal Registry and compared at the level of the health care provider. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analysis was used to determine the effect of determinants (maternal age, parity, socio-economic status (SES), mode of conception, ethnicity and urbanisation) on uptake. Prenatal screening data were available for 24 657 women and overall uptake rate was 25.7%. The strongest association with FCT uptake was found for advanced maternal age (β 2.2; 95% CI [1.7, 2.8]). Grand multiparity had a significantly negative association with FCT uptake (β -4.3; 95% CI [-5.9, -2.7]). Positive associations were found for very high urbanisation (β 0.3; 95% CI [0.1, 0.4]) and high SES (β 0.2; 95% CI [0.0, 0.3]). Advanced maternal age is strongly associated with participation in prenatal testing. The role of age related risk perception should be incorporated in future policy making to support women in informed and autonomous decision making. The negative association of grand multiparity and FCT might be religion based but requires further research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Examining uncertainty and trust among irrigators and regulatory bodies in the Murray-Darling Basin

Due to changing climate and water legislation in South Australia, Australia's oldest water trust, the Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT), and the community it serves have faced unprecedented changes in water allocations. Using participatory research methods, this article examines irrigators' perceptions of risk, uncertainty and trust in relation to changing water legislation and drought. The social, cultural and regulatory relationship between irrigators and the RIT and the conditions in which trust is given are also explored. Foucault's understanding of power provides the analytical context in which we examine how power and knowledge are constituted, negotiated and reconstructed at the local level to shape trust between individuals and the RIT.

Relative Risk Perception and the Puzzle of Covered Call Writing

Market professionals with decades of experience typically argue that a call option is a surrogate for the underlying asset, indicating that they perceive the risk of a call option as similar to the risk of the underlying asset. Experimental evidence also points to the same conclusion. Such relative risk perception is in sharp contrast with finance theory, which argues that only the absolute quantity of risk contained in a call option should matter for its price. I show that relative risk perception provides a potential explanation for the puzzling performance of covered call writing.

Environmental risks of high-speed railway in China: Public participation, perception and trust

Two decades ago China entered an era with rapid expansion of transport infrastructure. In an ambitious plan on high-speed railway development, China plans to have the longest high-speed railway network by 2020. Social concerns and anxiety with the adverse environmental and social risks and impacts of high-speed railways are related to the lay-out, the construction and the daily operation of high-speed trains. While anecdotal evidence of concerns and anxieties of Chinese citizens on high-speed railway systems exist, systematic assessment of concerns, anxieties, protests and support of Chinese citizens regarding the planning, implementation and daily operation of high-speed railways is absent. This study investigated high-speed railway related public views, risk perceptions and trust of Chinese residents living along the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. The results show high public acceptance in high-speed railway, due to perceived low environmental and social risk and high economic and social benefits. The current closed, government-dominated decision-making, opaque information provisioning, and lack of communication with and involvement of residents cause low levels of trust in railway-related local governmental agencies and companies. The increasing ‘room for manoeuvre’ of China׳s civil society may increase information disclosure and transparency, two-way risk communication and public participation in future large infrastructure development.

The impact of risk perception on developing incentive systems for relational contracting

Financial incentives, specifically refer to risk/reward sharing arrangements, have been seen as an important way of facilitating relational contracting. Although there has been a great interest in developing appropriate incentive systems, still very little literature focuses on the impact of risk perception on risk/reward sharing arrangements. Taking into account risk characteristics in relational contracting, this study proposes a theoretical model in order to extend the understanding of relational and performance risk perception to the formulation of financial incentives from social and individual perspectives, and then validates the model for assessing the relationships among social and individual factors, risk perception and financial incentives with structural equation modeling in the context of integrated project teams. Data collected from 238 members in China can provide support for the proposed model. The results demonstrate that both relational and performance risk perception are significantly related to financial incentive, and social interaction ties, trust, shared vision, control ability and self-efficacy can reduce participants' perceived level of risk. This study suggests that participants' social capital and individual cognition should not be ignored when developing incentive systems for relational contracting.

Pesticide use and risk perceptions among farmers in the cotton belt of Punjab, Pakistan

The need to evaluate pesticide use in rural populations, particularly in developing countries, is urgent. Pesticide use and related risk perceptions were studied among 318 randomly selected farmers from two areas of the cotton belt of Punjab, Pakistan. A total amount of 4875 kg of pesticide active ingredients was reported to be applied by the farmers per annum and most of these active ingredients were classified as moderately hazardous (55%) or highly hazardous (23%) according to WHO classification. The number of pesticide applications per growing season ranged from 6 to 16, with an average of 10 or 11 applications, depending on district. Better-educated farmers were found to spray less. Most farmers (52%) considered the risk from pesticide use to be low, whereas a solid fraction (12%) considered there was no risk at all. To model farmers' behavior on pesticide overuse, a binary probit regression model was used expressing behavior as a function of age, education, level of risk perception, health effects, pesticide toxicity class, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training. Irrespective of age, there was a clear tendency towards pesticide overuse, but the probability decreased with IPM training, a high level of education, and use of highly toxic pesticides. Awareness of the high toxicity of a pesticide product tended to discourage overuse. On the contrary, neither the experience of health effects nor the levels of risk perception affected overuse. Farmers were not well informed about correct application practices and safe handling of pesticides. Overall, findings affirm an urgent need for training programs on pesticide use in the study area with the aim of conveying more specific information on health hazards from pesticides that will avert hazardous behaviors of farmers derived from misleading beliefs about pesticide use.

Store image influences in consumers’ perceptions of store brands: the moderating role of value consciousness

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop and test a conceptual model of the moderating effect of customers’ value consciousness (CVC) on the relationship of store image (SI) with four dimensions of the perceived risk associated to the purchase of a store brand over a manufacturers’ brand, and the direct effect of those variables on the perceived unfairness of manufacturers’ brand prices. Design/methodology/approach – A mall-intercept survey of 600 shoppers in Colombia (South America) gathered data on their consumption experiences of a store brand and manufacturer’s brand across six product categories and two supermarket chains. Findings – Results suggest that SI exerts different influences on the four categories of perceived risk, the strength of which varies with value-consciousness. Perceptions of the price unfairness of manufacturers’ brands are attenuated by the financial and functional risk of buying store brands but increased by the social and psychological risk. Research limitations/implications – The findings may not be generally applicable to other shopping contexts or customers. The functional perspective on SI may mean that the results are not directly comparable with other studies adopting different perspectives. Practical implications – For retailers, the key implications concern awareness and management of customers’ perceptions of relative risks and the impact of value-consciousness on the use of SI as a heuristic decision-making cue. For manufacturers, they are the need to demonstrate clear product differentiation as a rationale for higher prices. Originality/value – This is the first study to encompass value-consciousness, SI, perceived risk and perceptions of price unfairness in a single field survey.

Climate change and coastal aquaculture farmers’ risk perceptions: experiences from Bangladesh and Denmark

This paper addresses the issue of risk perception in relation to climate change threats, comparison of risk perceptions in two different regions, and derives general results of what affect peoples’ level of risk perceptions. Revelation of individual risk perception is essential for local acceptance and cooperation. We do this by a comparative study with Bangladesh shrimp farmers and Danish mussel farmers. Since these people live on the edge of subsistence, already small changes in the climate will affect them significantly. Farmers in both developed and developing economies are concerned about global climate change but there are significant differences in farmers’ perceptions of the causes of global climate change in developed and developing countries.

Perceptions of relative risk of disease and addiction from cigarettes and snus.

The public is largely unaware of the lower global risk associated with snus compared with that of cigarettes, but little is known of perceptions of relative risks for specific diseases. Inveterate, daily, and nondaily smokers' perceptions of the relative snus/cigarette risk of cardiovascular disease, and of cancer of the lung, stomach, and oral cavity, and perceptions among smokers, snus users, and dual users of the relative risk of nicotine addiction, was studied in a pooled sample from annual national surveys (2008-2011) performed by Statistics Norway. The total sample included 2,661 ever smokers and snus users aged 15-79 years old. Fifty-three percent were men, and the average age was 46.1 year. Compared with medical consensus, all smoker groups overestimated the relative risks of diseases from snus use, and inveterate smokers overestimated them significantly more than other groups. For all diseases except lung cancer, the majority of smokers thought snus users were running a higher or equal risk. For lung cancer, 22% believed that snus use gave a higher or equal risk. Smokers, snus users, and dual users tended to think that snus and cigarettes were equally addictive products, while a somewhat higher proportion of those who had quit both products thought that cigarettes were more addictive. Increased knowledge of the relative health risks might give smokers an incitement to switch to snus and prompt current dual users to stop smoking completely. Awareness could be improved by tailoring information at targeted groups, for example via the health care system.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Related Knowledge, Risk Perception and Practices among Married Women of Reproductive Age: A Cross-sectional Study from Mid-western Development Region, Nepal.

Background:Despite the implementation of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) interventions, it has continued to spread from high risk to the low risk population population with the devastating social, economic and health consequences.Aim:The aim of the following study is to identify HIV related knowledge, risk perceptions and practices among married women of reproductive age (MWRA) in Mid-Western Development Region, Nepal.Subjects and Methods:A community based, cross-sectional study was conducted during May-December 2010 among 618 MWRA in Mid-western Development Region, Nepal. Multistage random sampling was followed wherein four districts, representing each ecological zone were selected in the first stage. Nine Village Developments Committees with the total 81 clusters were selected in the second and third stages. Finally, 7/8 participants/cluster were selected randomly. Household interviews were conducted using pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). Percentages, mean, Chi-square value and odds ratio were calculated.Results:Nearly three quarters (434/618) of all participants had heard about the HIV. Radio was the most common source of the information 73.3% (318/434) amongst all sources. Unsafe sex 55.3% (240/434), infected blood transfusion 33.2% (144/434), needle sharing 24.7% (107/434) and mother to child transmission 4.1% (18/434) were reported modes of HIV transmission. Condom use during extramarital sex 51.8% (225/434), use of sterilized syringes 24.2% (105/434), restricting sex within couple 22.6% (98/434) and blood safety 20.3% (88/434) were reported HIV preventive measures. Extramarital sex, needle sharing and sharing of the razors/blades were perceived to be the risk behaviors. About 4.9% (30/618) had extramarital sexual experience amongst all participants. Only a quarter (8/30) of those who had extramarital sex used condom regularly.Conclusions:Almost half of the MWRA had limited awareness on HIV transmission and preventive measures. There was poor HIV preventive practices; indicating knowledge-behavior gaps. Awareness raising and behavior change interventions are recommended.

Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), Related knowledge, risk perception and practice of confidential counseling and testing for HIV among patients in a tertiary health institution in North Western Nigeria

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the leading cause of death in sub-Sahara Africa. A major focal point of the epidemiology and spread of HIV infection and AIDS is HIV/AIDS related knowledge, especially as these affect AIDS risk behaviors in vulnerable populations of Africa. While HIV testing serves as the gateway to treatment, care, and prevention of HIV/AIDS; uptake of HIV testing is very low in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was conducted to assess the HIV/AIDS related knowledge, risk perception and practice of HIV confidential counseling and testing among patients in Sokoto. A descriptive cross-sectional study among 184 randomly selected patients attending the medical outpatient clinic of Specialist Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria was conducted in September 2010. Informed consent was taken and information was collected by a pre-designed questionnaire, data analysis was done using computer software, SPSS version 17. Almost all the patients (97.8%) have heard about HIV/AIDS. Although only 18.3% knew the causative agent, majority had adequate knowledge of transmission (71.1%) and prevention (62.2%) of the disease, with a few among them having some misconceptions. Most (89.4%) perceived the disease to be a serious threat to them, but some still engaged in sharing needle with another person (12.2%), and casual sex (8.3%). Barely half (57.2%) knew where to do HIV test, and only 23.9% have been tested for HIV. Inadequate awareness and poor practice of HIV testing was demonstrated in this study despite adequate knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS. This suggests the need for all the stakeholders to intensify health education aimed at removing misconceptions about the disease and improving uptake of HIV testing. Key words: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS), knowledge, risk perception, confidential counseling and testing.

Perceptions of Relative Risk of Snus and Cigarettes Among US Smokers

In a survey of 1836 adult US smokers, when using a direct comparison measure, 22.1% reported snus was less harmful than were cigarettes. When asked indirectly (estimating the health risk of snus and cigarettes in 2 separate questions and comparing the answers to each other), 51.6% rated snus as less risky. The Food and Drug Administration should consider both direct and indirect measures when perceived risk data are presented as evidence for tobacco regulation.

Risky business? Whether a more accurate picture of risk assessment in food allergic children and young people affects behaviours in school nurses and school first aiders

Background The risk of fatal anaphylaxis in a food allergic person is very low, yet the possibility of this catastrophic event is a major focus for both patients and healthcare professionals. It is unclear how healthcare professionals perceive risk of fatal or non-fatal anaphylaxis in the context of food allergy, and whether their perception of risk influences their management of food allergy. We investigated whether school nurses/first aiders could accurately estimate fatal anaphylaxis risk in children/young people with food allergy, and whether their assessment of risk correlated with their knowledge and management of food allergy in children/young people. Methods Interview-based surveys completed in 30 schools over 6 months included assessment of risk perception in relation to childhood food allergy using a novel risk assessment tool, an assessment of their knowledge of when to administer adrenaline and assessment of their practical ability to use an adrenaline autoinjector. Results Risk perception varied widely but all participants overestimated fatal food anaphylaxis risk more than they overestimated all-cause mortality risk in young people [median log-fold overestimate for all-cause mortality 0.51 (IQR 0.00, 1.48); food anaphylaxis death 1.20 (IQR 0.06, 2.10) p=0.018]. We did not find any association between estimation of anaphylaxis/fatal anaphylaxis risk in a food allergic child, and practical ability to use an adrenaline autoinjector in a simulated scenario. We did however find that participants who state that they would (unnecessarily) dial emergency services for a non-anaphylactic reaction, also significantly overestimated risk of anaphylaxis in a food allergic person (median log-fold overestimate 1.76 (IQR 0.92, 2.33) vs. 0.72 (IQR -1.51, 1.59) for those who would not dial emergency services for a non-anaphylactic reaction (p=0.009). Multivariate analyses showed weak evidence that personal or previous medical experience of allergic disease correlates with increased overestimation of fatal food anaphylaxis risk. Conclusion School nurses/first aiders overestimate fatal food anaphylaxis risk more than overestimating other fatality risks in children. The data suggests that this overestimation of risk is not associated with improved ability to recognise/manage anaphylaxis. These data suggest that correcting any risk misperception among healthcare providers, in relation to risk of anaphylaxis in food allergy, is unlikely to be harmful.

RETRACTED: Attitudes of Saudi Nursing Students on AIDS and Predictors of Willingness to Provide Care for Patients in Central Saudi Arabia

1. Mostafa A. Abolfotouh[1][1] 2. Samar A. Al Saleh[1][1] 3. Aisha A. Mahfouz[1][1] 4. Sherif M. Abolfotouh[2][2] 5. Haya M. Al Fozan[3][3] 1. 1King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2. 2Alexandria University, Egypt 3. 3King Saud bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 1. Mostafa A. Abolfotouh, Biobanking Section, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Mail Code 1515, King Saud Bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, P.O.B 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia. Email: mabolfotouh{at}gmail.com This study aimed to assess acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, and risk perception among Saudi nursing students, and to identify predictors of their willingness to provide care for patients with AIDS. A cross-sectional study of 260 baccalaureate nursing students at King Saud bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was done using a previously validated instrument. Students’ knowledge percentage mean score (PMS) on AIDS was 72.93 ± 10.67 reflecting an average level of knowledge. There were many misconceptions about how AIDS is transmitted, for example, use of same toilets and bathrooms and washing clothes together (24.9%), swimming (53.7%), and coughing and sneezing (49.6%). Nursing students reported an overall negative attitude toward AIDS, with a PMS of 43.48 ± 9.21. The majority of students agreed that AIDS patients should be isolated from other patients (83%), and should not share the room with other noninfected patients (81.8%), and some reported that people living with AIDS deserve what has happened to them (24.7%). After controlling for confounders, students’ poor knowledge and negative attitude were associated only with having never been given nursing education as their primary university education “Stream 2 students” ( p = .012 and p = .01, respectively). These findings have implications for development of teaching strategies and curricular approaches for nursing to address this health care issue. [1]: #aff-1 [2]: #aff-2 [3]: #aff-3

How Value Perception Affects Buying Intentions of Online Consumers?

This study tries to understand how Turkish online consumers perceive value for their purchase intentions. It develops a model in order to test the effect of value perception on buying intentions of those consumers. Besides, the model covers the effects of risk perception, quality perception, perceived sacrifice and perceived relative price on value perception. The model was applied to 1361 online consumers who bought technology products from online retailers in the last six months. Results confirmed that perceived relative price, perceived sacrifice and risk perception had a negative effect on value perception, but quality perception had a positive effect on value perception in online retailing. In addition, willingness to buy is positively influenced by value perception. Besides these, relative price perception and quality perception appear to have a stronger effect than risk perception and perceived sacrifice on consumers’ value perceptions.

Linking power, risk, and governance: a survey research in new product development relationships

PurposeInter‐organizational arrangements are increasingly playing an important role in new product development (NPD). This article aims to investigate the links among power, risk, and governance in these kinds of relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe authors investigated the links based on the data collected from 112 respondents representing 112 different NPD relationships.FindingsThe results of structural equation modeling revealed that, in the situation where coercive power is imbalanced between partner firms, the weaker partner perceives relational risk while imbalances in non‐coercive power do not influence relational risk perception significantly. The results also showed that relational risk perception is strongly associated with governance modes in such a way that negatively influences trust and the norm of information sharing, and positively affects vertical control, respectively. Further investigations revealed that the influence of power bases on governance modes was mediated through the relational risk perception.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a better appreciation of the factors that account for important determinants of opportunistic behavior of partner firms (i.e. power asymmetries) and governance modes that are available for companies in order to impede relational risks.

A decision-process model of relational risk and governance and their impact on performance

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link among risk, governance, and performance. In order to achieve this objective, the paper examines the impact of relational risk on governance decision options (trust, bilateral control, and unilateral control) and performance (design time). Survey research was conducted to collect data from 221 new product development (NPD) relationships and structural equation modeling was conducted to test the hypotheses. The results suggest that relational risk influences trust and bilateral control negatively and unilateral control positively. Results also indicated that trust and bilateral control are positively related to shortened design time while unilateral control and shortened design time are negatively related. We also found that there are threshold effects for modes of governance decision as they influence shortened design time. This study enhances the understanding of NPD relationships by examining the key mechanisms through which governance decision modes are influenced and how they influence NPD performance. In summary, this study shows how relational risk perception through affecting governance decision modes influence shortened design time.

Predicting live birth chances for women with multiple consecutive failing IVF cycles: a simple and accurate prediction for routine medical practice.

BackgroundWomen having experienced several consecutive failing IVF cycles constitute a critical and particular subset of patients, for which growing perception of irremediable failure, increasing costs and IVF treatment related risks necessitate appropriate decision making when starting or not a new cycle. Predicting chances of LB might constitute a useful tool for discussion between the patient and the clinician. Our essential objective was to dispose of a simple and accurate prediction model for use in routine medical practice. The currently available predictive models applicable to general populations cannot be considered as accurate enough for this purpose.MethodsPatients with at least four consecutive Failing cycles (CFCs) were selected. We constructed a predictive model of LB occurrence during the last cycle, by using a stepwise logistic regression, using all the baseline patient characteristics and intermediate stage variables during the four first cycles.ResultsOn as set of 151 patients, we identified five determinant predictors: the number of previous cycles with at least one gestational sac (NGS), the mean number of good-quality embryos, age, male infertility (MI) aetiology and basal FSH. Our model was characterized by a much higher discrimination as the existing models (C-statistics=0.76), and an excellent calibration.ConclusionsCouples having experienced multiple IVF failures need precise and appropriate information to decide to resume or interrupt their fertility project. Our essential objective was to dispose of a simple and accurate prediction model to allow a routine practice use. Our model is adapted to this purpose: It is very simple, combines five easily collected variables in a short calculation; it is more accurate than existing models, with a fair discrimination and a well calibrated prediction.