Search

Introduction: Betel quid (BQ) is globally the fourth most consumed psychoactive substance. It is consumed by an estimated 600 million people worldwide, accounting for nearly 8% of the world's population. There have been very few studies assessing chewers' motivation to quit. Objectives: In the current study, we sought to understand the relationship between several cessation-relevant variables and chewers' motivation to quit. Hypotheses: Based on analogous research on cigarette smoking, we hypothesized that the following cessation-relevant variables would be associated with motivation to quit: health risk perceptions, number of chews per day, cost, degree of BQ dependence, withdrawal symptoms, number of quit attempts, reasons for use, personal health improvement, and type of BQ chewed. Methods: A total of 351 adult BQ chewers from Guam participated in the survey and served as the sample for the analyses. Results: Majority of chewers want to quit and intend to quit. Chewers relatively high in motivation to quit evinced greater health risk perceptions of BQ chewing, greater perceived health benefits to quitting, and a greater number of past quit attempts, compared to those relatively low in motivation to quit. Conclusions: Understanding which factors are associated with chewers' motivation to quit can be helpful for designing BQ cessation programs. The results suggest that BQ cessation programs could be improved by an increased emphasis on information about the negative health effects of BQ chewing and relapse-prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health risk perception is an important predictor of health- protective behaviors according to the health belief model. However, the underlying mechanism connecting health risk perception and exercise behaviors is not well understood. The current study investigates how health risk perception predicts college students' exercise intention in the post-pandemic era in China and analyzes the mediating effect of health anxiety and the moderating effect of lay theories of health. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study adopted convenience sampling and recruited 767 students from a province in central China. The Health Risk Perception Scale, Health Anxiety Scale, Lay Theories of Health Scale, and the Chinese version of the Exercise Intention Scale were used to measure the levels of health risk perception, health anxiety, implicit health theory, and exercise intention, respectively. Results: The results of the moderated mediation model indicated that the health risk perception of college students significantly and positively affected exercise intention (β = 0.110, t = 2.852, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the indirect effect of health anxiety on the relationship between health risk perception and exercise intention was significant. Furthermore, lay theories of health buffered the association between health anxiety and exercise intention, according to the moderated mediation analysis (β = 0.068, t = 2.067, p < 0.05). For college students holding incremental health theory, the influence of health anxiety on exercise intention was positively and statistically significant. Conclusion: The health risk perception of college students can lead to health anxiety, which can positively affect their exercise intention. In addition, lay theories of health can moderate the effect of health anxiety on exercise intention. The results have practical implications for developing effective, applicable, and scalable interventions to promote physical exercise by reducing the level of entity theory of health or increasing the level of incremental theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues in agricultural environments pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Most studies investigate the quantity, environmental, and risk assessment of pesticides in agricultural landscapes. However, farmers’ pesticide use and their knowledge on aquatic ecosystem contamination remain limited and poorly documented. This study evaluated pesticide residue concerns in agricultural settings, focusing on farmers’ uses and knowledge. It addressed pesticide application methods and their effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health through fish consumption. A cross-sectional design was employed and 300 farmers were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique from two agricultural districts – Savelugu Municipal and Tamale Metropolis. The study revealed that maize was most cultivated (29.6 %) with extensive pesticide treatment, particularly herbicides in the study setting. Findings revealed pesticide overuse (22.3 %), mixing of pesticides at the water bodies (24.7 %), improper leftover pesticide disposal methods (39.0 %) and inadequate storage practices (63.0 %) among farmers. About 21.3 % and 74.0 % of farmers have insufficient knowledge of the resulting consequences and the discharge of pesticides into the aquatic environment, respectively. Though the farmers are aware of the detrimental impact of pesticides on human health, there is still a lack of comprehension regarding the indirect consequences for aquatic ecosystems and non-target species. In the study setting, extension services may be important sources of knowledge. Thus, emphasizes the significance of improving extension programmes and utilizing peer-to-peer communication channels to support the adoption of best practices in pesticide management such as licenced high-temperature incinerators and cement kilns with sufficient emission controls. Focused training and outreach programmes designed to enhance farmers' knowledge and implementation of pesticide management plans are urgently needed. These interventions would help in reducing the dangers of pollution to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Background Although there is increasing awareness of the health risks of air pollution as a global issue, few studies have focused on the methods for assessing individuals’ perceptions of these risks. This scoping review aimed to identify previous research evaluating individuals’ perceptions of air pollution and its health effects, and to explore the measurement of perceptions, as a key resource for health behaviour. Methods The review followed the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. PubMed and Web of Science were searched. After initial and full-text screening, we further selected studies with standardised scales that had previously been tested for reliability and validity in assessing awareness and perceptions. Results After full-text screening, 95 studies were identified. ‘Perception/awareness of air quality’ was often measured, as well as ‘Perception of health risk.’ Only nine studies (9.5%) used validated scaled questionnaires. There was considerable variation in the scales used to measure the multiple dimensions of risk perception for air pollution. Conclusion Few studies used structured scales to quantify individuals’ perceptions, limiting comparisons among studies. Standardised methods for measuring health risk perception are needed.

Risk perception is a pertinent issue in the situation of constant risks associated with the biological, climatic, or technological factors that affect citizens' lives today. The context in which a risk-generating situation arises can influence the way citizens perceive it. Among other factors, it is important to take the political context into account in risk perception research. In this vein, a wide variety of firms try to influence political decisions made by public authorities through the implementation of corporate political activity (CPA) strategies. In the case of polluting industrial complexes, residents who live close to them may perceive higher health risks when they become aware of the implementation of CPA strategies by firms. However, this reality has been neglected in the academic literature. To help fill this gap our research is based on institutional and attribution theories and the social risk perspective. The aim of the paper is to provide empirical evidence on the relationships between perceived CPA strategies, namely information and financial incentives, and health risk perception. For this purpose, the study focuses on residents who live near a polluting industrial complex. The results are obtained using structural equation models, and they show that each CPA strategy influences citizens' health risk perception in a different way. Finally, we offer theoretical and practical implications of citizens' health risk perception in a context with corporate political involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Since air pollution and physical inactivity pose major public health risks, switching from cars to alternatives like public transport, cycling, and walking is important. Therefore, it is beneficial to identify key events for changes of mode choice. Methods We examined the association between risk perception and mode choice during the temporary closure of a road bridge between two major German cities in early 2020 using binary and multinomial regression models. Results 679 people participated in the survey. We found that 22% of car users switched to alternatives. The higher the perceived health risk from traffic-related air pollution, the more likely car users switched to alternatives (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76, 95% CI [1.14, 2.71]). Discussion Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were associated with maintaining but not with switching transport modes. In conclusion, the closure of a main road bridge may present a key event. To explain mode choice, risk perception is a potential extension to the theory of planned behavior.

Background: Since air pollution and physical inactivity pose major public health risks, switching from cars to alternatives like public transport, cycling, and walking is important. Therefore, it is beneficial to identify key events for changes of mode choice. Methods: We examined the association between risk perception and mode choice during the temporary closure of a road bridge between two major German cities in early 2020 using binary and multinomial regression models. Results: 679 people participated in the survey. We found that 22% of car users switched to alternatives. The higher the perceived health risk from traffic-related air pollution, the more likely car users switched to alternatives (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76, 95% CI [1.14, 2.71]). Discussion: Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were associated with maintaining but not with switching transport modes. In conclusion, the closure of a main road bridge may present a key event. To explain mode choice, risk perception is a potential extension to the theory of planned behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is meaningful that both scholars and practitioners recognize the multifaceted nature of health risk perception and communication (HRPC). Extensive studies related to HRPC have been conducted to date. However, no bibliometric analysis has systematically investigated this issue. We aim to identify the current landscape and frontier trends of scientific achievements on HRPC through bibliometric approaches. Methods: Quantitative analysis of publications relating to HRPC from 1999 to 2021 was interpreted and graphed through the Web of Science Core Collection database on October 21, 2022. A variety of quantitative variables was analyzed, including publication and citation counts, H-index, and journal citation reports. Co-authorship, citation, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses were performed for countries/regions, institutions, authors, and keywords using the VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Results: A total of 1,518 original and review articles in English were identified. The United States has considerable influence in this field, with the majority of publications (772, 50.86%), citations (23,951 times), the highest H-index (453), and close collaborations with the United Kingdom and Australia. The most contributive institution was University of North Carolina. The most productive author is Waters EA, followed by Lemyre L and Renner B. However, the relatively low level of research cooperation existed between institutions and authors. Important topics mainly include the connotations, categories, theoretical framework models, and application scenarios of HRPC. Among the promising hotspots, 'Covid-19,' 'pandemic', 'vaccine hesitancy', 'social media', 'e-cigarettes', and 'mental health' displayed relatively latest average appearing year. Conclusion: Global trends indicate a growing scientific output on HRPC, and developed countries are leading the way. There is still a need to improve collaboration between research teams. The focus gradually shifts from theoretical research to empirical research. It is recommended to pay attention to the latest hot spots, such as 'Covid-19', 'vaccine hesitancy', 'social media', 'e-cigarettes', and 'mental health'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundHot days are one of the typical threats to human health and sustainable cities. The exploration of residents’ perceptions of thermal environment and its mitigation measures will support the health risk prevention.MethodsA survey with a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions was conducted in July 2021 among 13 urban parks in Xi’an City, China. With the help of ANOVA and ordinal logistic regression, this study investigated the influencing factors both on residents’ health risk perception of hot days and their perception of the effect of urban ecological landscape on reducing the thermal risk. The relationship between health risk perception and residents’ needs of urban ecological construction was also explored.ResultsAccording to 325 valid questionnaires, the male-female ratio of respondents was found to be 1:0.87, young people aged 18-29 (26.46%), the retirees (27.08%) and the ones with undergraduate education (33.23%) were, relatively, the largest groups. The results show that 92.31% of the respondents believed that their daily lives were under the influence of hot days. Housing types, occupation, cooling equipment at work, and outdoor working hours all had a significant impact on their high temperature perceptions. The proportion of respondents who were under a huge health risk and sought medical treatment due to hot days was 30.16% and 44.92%, respectively. Women were 18.52 and 2.33 times more likely to suffer health threats and experience discomforts than men. Furthermore, 73.23% of the respondents believed that the urban ecological landscapes in Xi’an had an enhanced cooling effect in recent years. Compared with the morphological characteristics, residents’ recognition of the restriction of landscape’s area on its cooling effect was higher, and the residence duration showed a significant influence.ConclusionThe cooling effect of green spaces and water effectively resisted urban thermal threats, and residents’ needs of the urban ecological landscapes was associated with their health risk perceptions of hot days. In the future, it is necessary to promote the early warning of hot days, meanwhile, the optimization of landscape patterns of green infrastructures should be implemented in urban planning for the purposes of residents’ health risk prevention.

Background. Ambient air pollution has persisted in lessendowed communities, resulting in exposure to unhealthy pollutants. Epidemiological studies on air pollution have been mainly quantitative, with a dearth of information on community health risk perception, a key component of risk management. Objectives. The aim of this focus group study was to highlight the health risk perception of ambient air pollution among people residing near a petrochemical industry and to determine their perceptions of the existing control measures and ideas for more effective control. Methods. Participants were purposefully selected based on age, sex, long-term residence near a petroleum refinery, and occupation. Three 90-minute face-to-face focus groups and one individual interview were conducted. The moderator guided discussions using a pre-formed topic guide. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed manually, and coded using NVivo software. The data analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. Results. Six themes were generated: negative perception of the environment; the refinery is to blame; air pollution is seen or smelled; air pollution is associated with health and non-health risks; poor response to air pollution- everyone is to blame and the government is primarily responsible for healthy air quality. The participants were not aware of the extent of air pollution's health risks. Suggestions for air pollution control included regulating gas flaring, environmental health education, and incentives for community members. Conclusion. Participants perceived that their ambient air was unhealthy. However, concerns about the health risks were shaped by contextual factors. The key barriers to effective mitigation were poor environmental health literacy and political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most extant nutrition labeling studies examine how different nutrition labels affect consumers' purchase intentions or how nutrition knowledge influences shoppers' final decisions. However, most scholars have ignored that the channel of risk attitudes toward a food product may indirectly affect shoppers' purchase intentions as a result of the health risk perception arising at the time of seeing nutrition labels. We empirically compare the effect of the Traffic Light (TL) label with the icon-only nutrition label on participants' attitudes and health risk perceptions linked to their purchase intentions regarding a pizza product. The findings from the online experiment show that the TL label has a more significant effect on purchase intention than the icon-only nutrition label. However, this effect is different based on consumers' health risks perception. Consumers with low health risk perception were more likely to purchase pizza, but those with high health risk perception decrease their purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ambient air pollution has persisted in lessendowed communities, resulting in exposure to unhealthy pollutants. Epidemiological studies on air pollution have been mainly quantitative, with a dearth of information on community health risk perception, a key component of risk management. Objectives. The aim of this focus group study was to highlight the health risk perception of ambient air pollution among people residing near a petrochemical industry and to determine their perceptions of the existing control measures and ideas for more effective control. Methods. Participants were purposefully selected based on age, sex, long-term residence near a petroleum refinery, and occupation. Three 90-minute face-to-face focus groups and one individual interview were conducted. The moderator guided discussions using a pre-formed topic guide. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed manually, and coded using NVivo software. The data analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. Results. Six themes were generated: negative perception of the environment; the refinery is to blame; air pollution is seen or smelled; air pollution is associated with health and non-health risks; poor response to air pollution- everyone is to blame and the government is primarily responsible for healthy air quality. The participants were not aware of the extent of air pollution’s health risks. Suggestions for air pollution control included regulating gas flaring, environmental health education, and incentives for community members. Conclusion. Participants perceived that their ambient air was unhealthy. However, concerns about the health risks were shaped by contextual factors. The key barriers to effective mitigation were poor environmental health literacy and political factors.

Air pollution is perceived through sensory stimuli and interpreted by our brain. Perception is highly subjective and varies from person to person. As many direct and indirect factors influence air pollution perception, it is difficult to unearth the underlying mechanisms. Many studies have tried to understand the mechanisms and relations affecting perception, and it is important to evaluate those different approaches. We systematically reviewed 104 studies on air pollution perception, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. There is a difference between the public’s subjective perception and objective air quality measurements. This discrepancy has been found to occur due to varied socio-economic characteristics, knowledge, emotions, etc. The advent of social media and the internet has had a significant effect on risk perception. All these influencing factors create differences between the public’s perception and the scientific community/policymakers. This gap can be fixed by tailoring science-backed information for better communication. Based on past studies, we highlight the need for tailored data dissemination, integration of big data for urban management, development of robust frameworks to incorporate perception and use of a perception index for better communication.

IntroductionWe examined rates of use, health risk perceptions and reasons for use of combustible and non-combustible tobacco products among clients enrolled in addictions treatment across the United States.MethodsParticipants (N = 1153) completed tobacco use surveys and rated health risk perception of all products. Users of non-cigarette products reported their main reason for use of each product. Logistic regression analyses examined associations between health risk perceptions and product use, including combustible cigarette use, and between reasons for use and non-cigarette product use.ResultsCigarette smoking was reported by 77.5%, followed by use of e-cigarettes (26.6%), little filtered cigars (LFCs)/cigarillos (15.4%), smokeless tobacco (11.4%), and cigars (8.4%). Lower perceived health risk of cigarettes was associated with smoking cigarettes (OR = 0.985, 95% CI: 0.975-0.995, p = 0.005). Lower perceived health risk of e-cigarettes was associated with e-cigarette use (OR = 0.991, 95% CI: 0.984-0.998, p = 0.023). Users of cigars and users of LFC/cigarillos (versus other product use) were more likely to report their main reason for use as "enjoying flavor/ taste", and smokeless tobacco users were more likely to report "at times when can't smoke" as their main reason for use compared with other reasons. E-cigarette users were more likely to report to "reduce/quit cigarettes" as their main reason for use as compared to all other reasons except "reduce health risk".ConclusionTreating smoking in addictions treatment should assess all tobacco product use, accuracy of health risk perceptions, and use of e-cigarettes to reduce/quit smoking, in order to promote cessation of combustible tobacco.

IntroductionBased on event system theory, this study analyzed the influence of the event strength of major public health outside the organization on work connectivity behavior.MethodsThe study collected data from 532 employees on their psychological status and working style during the COVID-19 pandemic through an online questionnaire survey.ResultsThe results show that driven by financial risk perception, female employees are more willing to pay work connectivity behavior than male employees and unmarried employees are more willing to pay work connectivity behavior than married employees. The risk perception of employees aged 28–33 has the greatest impact on workplace behavior. The impact of financial risk perception on behavior of employees without children is much higher than that of employees with children. The influence of financial risk perception and social risk perception on their behavior of employees with master’s degree is much higher than that of health risk perception, but the workplace behavior of employees with doctor’s degree is mainly affected by health risk perception.DiscussionThe novelty of the Corona Virus Disease event has a negative influence on work connectivity duration. The criticality, disruption of the Corona Virus Disease event has a positive influence on work connectivity duration. The criticality of the Corona Virus Disease event has a positive influence on work connectivity frequency. Employees’ social risk perception, financial risk perception and health risk perception has a positive influence on the work connectivity duration and work connectivity frequency.

Understanding tourist behavior during and after major tourism crises is essential to help destinations recover. The COVID-19 pandemic — a period of uncertainty and risk — makes it relevant to assess factors that influence travel intentions. There has been little research on tourist behavior during health crises and, in particular, on perceived health risk and uncertainty effects on travel intentions. This study was carried out at the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil and aims to investigate the role of health risk perception and intolerance of uncertainty on travel intentions for 2020 and 2021. We applied an online survey to 1150 Brazilian participants from April to May 2020. Our findings indicate that perceived COVID-19 severity, perceived probability of infection, and expected duration of the pandemic are significant predictors of travel intentions for both years. This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of crisis-resistant tourists' characteristics and provides insights for destinations' recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-pandemic era, our health is facing unprecedented challenges, and people are more willing to obtain health-related information or interact with each other than ever before. In this context, people's interest in mindfulness information is also growing. However, not enough attention has been paid to the relationship between mindfulness information design and information interaction. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of information design based on the gain and loss framework on people's willingness to interact with mindfulness information, and to identify the framework for achieving better results. Through two experimental studies, we find that information design based on the framework of gains and losses can produce different effects. Specifically, the findings of the first experiment (N = 282) shows the individuals are more willing to interact mindfulness information when they are exposed to gain-framed information rather than loss-framed. In the second experiment (N = 308), we find that loss framing, compared with gain framing, led to greater health risk perception, which in turn make participants more likely to interact with mindfulness information with others. Additionally, our results show that the lay theories of health plays a moderating role in the direct effect of information framework on willingness to interact with mindfulness information in social media. When individuals hold incremental lay theories, they are more willing to interact with mindfulness information under the gain-framed information condition compared with the loss-framed information condition. However, when individuals are in entity condition, there is no significant difference in the willingness to interact with mindfulness information between the gain-framed and loss-framed information. Our studies of integrating information framework into designing mindfulness information suggest a promising strategy of health information interaction in social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health education is gaining significance globally, and it is important for managing health risks. This study empirically analyzed the effect of public health education on people's demand for commercial health insurance. And we used the fixed effects and the mediating effect models, and instrumental variables regression in our research based on panel data of 31 provinces (including municipalities and autonomous regions) in China from year 2009 to 2019. The findings show that public health education significantly increases people's demand for commercial health insurance, and this effect remains significant when considering endogeneity and robustness. We further analyzed and found that the increased demand for commercial health insurance is caused by health literacy, health risk perceptions and health risk attitudes. Through heterogeneity analysis, we found that there were significant differences in the effects of public health education in regions with different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. We found that the effect of health education on promoting people's demand for commercial health insurance is more obvious in regions with high levels of urbanization, proportion of men, education, economic development, medical resources, and social medical insurance coverage. Governments are supposed to take further measures to enhance the effectiveness of public health education, develop high-quality commercial health insurance, and continuously improve health risk coverage.

The global pandemic, COVID-19, has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms influencing travel intention in the post-epidemic era can help provide management insights for the recovery of the travel market. Relying on the logic of social cognition theory, we conducted an empirical analysis from the perspective of trust and found that institutional trust and interpersonal trust can positively predict travel intention in the context of the epidemic, while travelers' health risk perception and safety self-efficacy mediate the relationship between trust and travel intention. Moreover, we verified the moderating role of tourists' psychological resilience. Further, the study confirms that China's active prevention policy not only reduces the physical health harm caused by the epidemic, but also effectively increases individuals' institutional trust in a proactive government. Through China's active anti-epidemic policy, individuals were able to counteract the negative impact of the COVID 19 epidemic on their travel intention. Further, theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 protective behaviors are key interventions advised by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent COVID-19 transmission. However, achieving compliance with this advice is often challenging, particularly among socially vulnerable groups., Objective: We developed a social vulnerability index (SVI) to predict individuals' propensity to adhere to the WHO advice on protective behaviors against COVID-19 and identify changes in social vulnerability as Omicron evolved in African countries between January 2022 and August 2022 and Asia Pacific countries between August 2021 and June 2022., Methods: In African countries, baseline data were collected from 14 countries (n=15,375) during the first Omicron wave, and follow-up data were collected from 7 countries (n=7179) after the wave. In Asia Pacific countries, baseline data were collected from 14 countries (n=12,866) before the first Omicron wave, and follow-up data were collected from 9 countries (n=8737) after the wave. Countries' socioeconomic and health profiles were retrieved from relevant databases. To construct the SVI for each of the 4 data sets, variables associated with COVID-19 protective behaviors were included in a factor analysis using polychoric correlation with varimax rotation. Influential factors were adjusted for cardinality, summed, and min-max normalized from 0 to 1 (most to least vulnerable). Scores for compliance with the WHO advice were calculated using individuals' self-reported protective behaviors against COVID-19. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the associations between the SVI and scores for compliance to WHO advice to validate the index., Results: In Africa, factors contributing to social vulnerability included literacy and media use, trust in health care workers and government, and country income and infrastructure. In Asia Pacific, social vulnerability was determined by literacy, country income and infrastructure, and population density. The index was associated with compliance with the WHO advice in both time points in African countries but only during the follow-up period in Asia Pacific countries. At baseline, the index values in African countries ranged from 0.00 to 0.31 in 13 countries, with 1 country having an index value of 1.00. The index values in Asia Pacific countries ranged from 0.00 to 0.23 in 12 countries, with 2 countries having index values of 0.79 and 1.00. During the follow-up phase, the index values decreased in 6 of 7 African countries and the 2 most vulnerable Asia Pacific countries. The index values of the least vulnerable countries remained unchanged in both regions., Conclusions: In both regions, significant inequalities in social vulnerability to compliance with WHO advice were observed at baseline, and the gaps became larger after the first Omicron wave. Understanding the dimensions that influence social vulnerability to protective behaviors against COVID-19 may underpin targeted interventions to enhance compliance with WHO recommendations and mitigate the impact of future pandemics among vulnerable groups., (©Suladda Pongutta, Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Kathy Leung, Heidi J Larson, Leesa Lin. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 13.08.2024.)

ObjectiveCOVID-19 has caused great loss of human life and livelihoods. The dissemination of health information in online social networks increased during the pandemic's quarantine. Older people are the most vulnerable group in sudden public health emergencies, and they have the disadvantage of infection rates and online search for health information. This study explores the relationship between the health risk perception and health information search behavior of older people in social networks, to help them make better use of the positive role of social networks in public health emergencies.MethodBased on the Risk Information Search and Processing model, and in the specific context of COVID-19, this study redefines health risk perception as a second-order construct of four first-order factors (perceived probability, perceived severity, perceived controllability, and perceived familiarity), and constructs a research model of the health risk perception and health information search behavior of older people. An online survey of people over 55 years old was conducted through convenience sampling in China from February 2020 to March 2020.ResultsA total of 646 older adults completed the survey. The structural equation model showed that health risk perception is a second-order factor (H1), that health risk perception has significant positive effects on health information search behavior (H2: β = 0.470, T = 11.577, P < 0.001), and that health risk perception has significant positive effects on affective response (H3: β = 0.536, T = 17.356, P < 0.001). In addition, affective response has a significant positive mediating effect on information sufficiency (H4: β = 0.435, T = 12.231, P < 0.001), and information sufficiency has a significant positive mediating effect on health information search behavior (H5: β = 0.136, T = 3.081, P = 0.002).ConclusionThe study results indicate that the health risk perception of older people during the COVID-19 outbreak not only directly affected their health information search behavior, but also had an indirect impact on their health information search behavior by affecting affective response and information sufficiency.

Rural women are an integral part of the agricultural economy. Still, their exposure to environmental pollution, especially in the context of risk preference and health risk perception, has not gained much attention in the existing literature. So to explore this notion, a survey and experimental data of 714 rural Chinese women as pig breeders are taken, we innovatively evaluate the degree of environmental exposure from the pre-exposure, in-exposure, post-exposure intervention of women breeders, and two-stage least squares (2SLS) method is employed to address the endogeneity issue between health risk perception and environmental exposure. The results show that rural women breeders suffer from severe environmental exposure, and the degree of environmental exposure is up to 72.102(Min = 0, Max = 100). Risk preference also emerges as a crucial determinant behind their environmental exposure, but health risk perception significantly deters the degree of environmental exposure. The health risk perception can offset risk preference effects on women breeders' environmental exposure by 15.15%. Moreover, considering the heterogeneity of the breeding scale, it is found that the impact of risk preference and health risk perception on women breeders' environmental exposure is an inverted U-shaped relationship, i.e., the results are at the turning stage when the breeding scale is 31–40 heads. Based on the empirical findings, the study offers guidelines for policymakers to enhance awareness amongst women breeders regarding health and pollution and encourage them to opt for environment-friendly breeding. Moreover, this research also has substantial guiding significance for related research on environmental exposure of rural women in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health risk avoidance behavior of tourists in China, a country actively combating COVID-19, is of research significance. This study proposes and tests a model based on three theories—stimulus-organism-response model, motivation-opportunity-ability model, and health belief model—to examine the impact mechanism of tourists' health risk avoiding behavior under COVID-19′s regular epidemic prevention and control situations and the moderating effect of health risk perception. The results reveal that, from the stimulus perspective, tourists' motivation, opportunities to travel, and the ability to travel negatively affect tourists' health risk avoidance behavior. That is to say, the stronger the motivation of tourists to undertake tourist activities, the stronger the safeguards provided by the government, and the better that tourists are informed of the virus and more equipped with healthy habits and skills, the more likely it is that tourists will not take avoidance behavior. From the organism perspective, perceived severity and perceived susceptibility, as mediating factors, positively influence tourists' health risk avoidance behavior. In contrast, if tourists are more likely to believe in the controllability of the health risk of the epidemic, then they are more likely to travel and less likely to show avoidance behavior. Managerial implications and theoretical contributions are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In the Czech Republic, an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) has been decelerated by quickly adopting strict and strongly limiting government measures. In this study, the authors present the preliminary results (April 1–5, 2020) of a public risk perception study of COVID‑19. Material and Methods The online questionnaire survey was announced in the national TV and radio stations with the nationwide coverage. Respondents were recruited through the website of the University of Ostrava during the first 5 days of the survey (N = 7966). The data covered risk perception with a focus on physical and psychological aspects, the current socio-economic situation and adaptation to the lockdown. The authors used Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, as well as ordered logistic regression, with a significance level of 5% using STATA version 15. Results From the total sample of the respondents aged 40 years on average (a range of 15–87 years), the present study shows that women (p < 0.001) and elderly people (p 60 years) perceived their mental health as significantly better than younger participants (p < 0.001). Most of the respondents assessed the adopted measures as adequate (71%) and believed in their effectiveness (69.7%). Conclusions This study contributes to understanding the risk perception as a public response to the COVID‑19 pandemic. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2021;34(2):165–76

In recent years, the mass media (such as TV shows and movies) plays an important role in communication with the general public. In this paper, we investigate the impact of a recent movie from China, 'Dying to Survive', on the demand for commercial health insurance. To explore this impact, a fixed-effect model and instrumental variable estimation are utilized, and the causal effect of movie-based health risk communication on commercial health insurance demand is studied. The result shows that the cumulative box office value of a movie has a significantly positive impact on the income from commercial health insurance premium, with a one- or two-day lag. This movie has encouraged viewers to purchase short-term commercial health insurance rather than long-term insurance. In addition, the heterogeneity of the impact exists for movie arrangement rate, average family size, urbanization rate, medical resource level, and per capita disposable income. The results show that sufficient health risk communication can improve the social 'visibility' of health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an integrated model based on the Risk Perception Attitude (RPA) framework and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model to investigate behavioral intention toward traveling in times of a health-related crisis. A survey was conducted via online networks of travelers, yielding 338 valid cases. The findings indicate that health risk perception is affected by information search about the Covid-19 disease. The relationship between health risk perception and behavioral intention toward traveling during a health-related crisis is not direct, but indirect via health self-efficacy and attitude about their future trip. The study contributes to understand a cognitive process of tourists' behavior intention toward traveling in a health-related crisis. Practically, this study's findings provide tourists, government agencies, tourism marketers, and policy-makers and other tourism stakeholders with important suggestions for tourism recovery during and after the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the development of vaccines against COVID-19 may mark the rounding of the corner in the pandemic, several issues are delaying our exit out of it. The majority of people seem to be concerned about the vaccines and unwilling to take them, while also not being responsible enough when it comes to the rest of the guidelines. In this paper, we wanted to examine the levels of support for different official guidelines, as well as the reasons behind their rejection. In the representative study (N=1198) of Serbian adults (aged 18+) conducted in September 2020 we found that most people do comply with guidelines such as hand washing and mask-wearing, but do not want to be vaccinated. We also found that conspiracy beliefs, trust in science and institutions, and health risk perception all play an important role in predicting guidelines compliance along with vaccination intentions. Path analysis confirmed that conspiracy belief indirectly predicts health guidance compliance, lowering health risk perception and trust in science and institutions.

Background: Although there is increasing awareness of the health risks of air pollution as a global issue, few studies have focused on the methods for assessing individuals' perceptions of these risks. This scoping review aimed to identify previous research evaluating individuals' perceptions of air pollution and its health effects, and to explore the measurement of perceptions, as a key resource for health behaviour., Methods: The review followed the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. PubMed and Web of Science were searched. After initial and full-text screening, we further selected studies with standardised scales that had previously been tested for reliability and validity in assessing awareness and perceptions., Results: After full-text screening, 95 studies were identified. 'Perception/awareness of air quality' was often measured, as well as 'Perception of health risk.' Only nine studies (9.5%) used validated scaled questionnaires. There was considerable variation in the scales used to measure the multiple dimensions of risk perception for air pollution., Conclusion: Few studies used structured scales to quantify individuals' perceptions, limiting comparisons among studies. Standardised methods for measuring health risk perception are needed.

Objective: To explore the relationship between health risk perception and life consciousness in college students during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: A total of 320 college students were assessed twice at 6- month intervals with the Health Risk Perception Scale (HRPS) and Questionnaire of Life Consciousness for College Students (QLCCS). The subjects were divided into middle and high-risk areas group (n = 165) and low-risk areas group (n = 131) according to the COVID-19 epidemic risk level of their location. A structural equation model was established to analyze the cross-lag effect of HRPS score and QLCCS score, and the group difference test was conducted to reveal the inter-group difference. Results: The baseline HRPS scores were lower in the middle and highrisk areas group than in the low-risk areas group (P < 0. 05) . After 6 months, the HRPS scores decreased, and the QLCCS scores increased in both groups (Ps < 0. 05). In the cross-lagged model analysis, the baseline HRPS scores positively associated with the QLCCS scores 6 months later (β = 0. 22), while the baseline QLCCS scores positively associated with the HRPS scores 6 months later (β = 0. 15). There was difference in the relationship between HRPS scores and QLCCS scores between two groups (Δχ² = 9. 28, P < 0. 05). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 epidemic, the health risk perception and life consciousness of college students are associated with interaction, and the relationship between them is affected by regional risk level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the stairs vs. an elevator generate benefits for the individual by increasing overall physical activity, health, and wellbeing. In the present paper, we report two pre-registered field intervention studies that examine how health message interventions can motivate individuals to change their behavior. We empirically contrasted opposing predictions from the literature as to whether numerically round (60.00%) or precise (61.87%) health messages are more effective in causing people to use the stairs over taking the elevator. Both interventions were compared to a control condition (no-health message). Contrary to our hypotheses and extant findings, both intervention studies did not produce a significant positive effect of the interventions relative to the control condition. In recent years such null findings have received increasingly more appreciation, particularly in the light of evident downsides of file-drawered studies. We discuss a number of moderating factors that may determine when and why nudging interventions are (in-) effective (e.g., a priori behavioral prevalence, pre-established habits, ceiling effects, and building infrastructure), as well as limitations and avenues for future research.

COVID-19 has had a severe impact globally, and the recovery can be characterized as a tug of war between fast economic recovery and firm control of further virus-spread. To be prepared for future pandemics, public health policy makers should put effort into fully understanding any complex psychological tensions that inherently arise between opposing human factors such as free enjoyment versus self-restriction. As the COVID-19 crisis is an unusual and complex problem, combinations of diverse factors such as health risk perception, knowledge, norms and beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are closely associated with individuals’ intention to enjoy the experience economy but also their concerns that the experience economy will trigger further spread of the infectious diseases. Our aim is to try identifying what factors are associated with their concerns about the spread of the infectious disease caused by the local experience economy. Hence, we have chosen a “data-driven” explanatory approach, “Probabilistic Structural Equational Modeling,” based on the principle of Bayesian networks to analyze data collected from the following four countries with indicated sample sizes: Denmark (1,005), Italy (1,005), China (1,013), and Japan (1,091). Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the contextual differences in relations between the target variable and factors such as personal value priority and knowledge. These factors affect the target variable differently depending on the local severity-level of the infections. Relations between pleasure-seeking via the experience economy and individuals’ anxiety-level about an infectious hotspot seem to differ between East Asians and Europeans who are known to prioritize so-called interpersonal- and independent self-schemes, respectively. Our study also indicates the heterogeneity in the populations, i.e., these relations differ within the respective populations. Another finding shows that the Japanese population is particularly concerned about their local community potentially becoming an infectious hotspot and hence expecting others to comply with their particular social norms. Summarizing, the obtained insights imply the importance of considering both cultural- and individual contexts when policy makers are going to develop measures to address pandemic dilemmas such as maintaining public health awareness and accelerating the recovery of the local experience economy.

Taking the stairs vs. an elevator generate benefits for the individual by increasing overall physical activity, health, and wellbeing. In the present paper, we report two pre-registered field intervention studies that examine how health message interventions can motivate individuals to change their behavior. We empirically contrasted opposing predictions from the literature as to whether numerically round (60.00%) or precise (61.87%) health messages are more effective in causing people to use the stairs over taking the elevator. Both interventions were compared to a control condition (no-health message). Contrary to our hypotheses and extant findings, both intervention studies did not produce a significant positive effect of the interventions relative to the control condition. In recent years such null findings have received increasingly more appreciation, particularly in the light of evident downsides of file-drawered studies. We discuss a number of moderating factors that may determine when and why nudging interventions are (in-) effective (e.g., a priori behavioral prevalence, pre-established habits, ceiling effects, and building infrastructure), as well as limitations and avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has had a severe impact globally, and the recovery can be characterized as a tug of war between fast economic recovery and firm control of further virus-spread. To be prepared for future pandemics, public health policy makers should put effort into fully understanding any complex psychological tensions that inherently arise between opposing human factors such as free enjoyment versus self-restriction. As the COVID-19 crisis is an unusual and complex problem, combinations of diverse factors such as health risk perception, knowledge, norms and beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are closely associated with individuals' intention to enjoy the experience economy but also their concerns that the experience economy will trigger further spread of the infectious diseases. Our aim is to try identifying what factors are associated with their concerns about the spread of the infectious disease caused by the local experience economy. Hence, we have chosen a "data-driven" explanatory approach, "Probabilistic Structural Equational Modeling," based on the principle of Bayesian networks to analyze data collected from the following four countries with indicated sample sizes: Denmark (1,005), Italy (1,005), China (1,013), and Japan (1,091). Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the contextual differences in relations between the target variable and factors such as personal value priority and knowledge. These factors affect the target variable differently depending on the local severity-level of the infections. Relations between pleasure-seeking via the experience economy and individuals' anxiety-level about an infectious hotspot seem to differ between East Asians and Europeans who are known to prioritize so-called interpersonal- and independent self-schemes, respectively. Our study also indicates the heterogeneity in the populations, i.e., these relations differ within the respective populations. Another finding shows that the Japanese population is particularly concerned about their local community potentially becoming an infectious hotspot and hence expecting others to comply with their particular social norms. Summarizing, the obtained insights imply the importance of considering both cultural- and individual contexts when policy makers are going to develop measures to address pandemic dilemmas such as maintaining public health awareness and accelerating the recovery of the local experience economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundHow do the police officers perceive health risk, psychological distress, and work stress during the COVID-19 outbreak in China? This study explores the health risk perception, work stress, and psychological distress of police officers who worked at the front line to implement lockdown measures.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a large-scale field survey (N = 5,611) with police officers sample in the northwestern part of China from February 29 to March 7, 2020. Independent-sample T-test and ANOVA were used to analyze whether there are differences in health risk perception, work stress, and psychological distress between different groups. The regression analysis was employed to figure out the factors that influence police officers’ psychological distress.ResultsResults showed a gender difference in perceiving work stress among police officers. Also, police officers with chronic disease perceived higher health risks, more psychological distress, and higher work stress. Additionally, police officers above 45 years old significantly perceived higher health risks than young officers did. It also revealed that working hours contribute to police officers’ health risk perception, psychological distress, and work stress. Finally, our results highlight that age, working hours, chronic disease, health risk perception, and work stress significantly contribute to police officers’ psychological distress.ConclusionOur research verifies that there is a gender difference in perceiving work stress among police officers. Police officers with ongoing medical issues and above 45 years old suffer more during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Our research suggests that the government should pay more attention to their physical health and mental health. The heavy workload containing the COVID-19 extends police officers’ working hours, causing higher health risks, work stress, and psychological distress. This study contributes to the psychological distress literature and provides a way forward to other countries struggling to contain the COVID-19.

As tourists are increasingly putting off their air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has tremendously affected the travel and tourism industry, this study examined the role of negative affect, perceived health risk, perceived uncertainty, and mental wellbeing in forming travel attitudes and temporal avoidance behaviour to global destinations seriously-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic from a U.S. tourist perspective. The cross-sectional online survey showed that negative affect as a result of COVID-19 significantly influenced perceived health risk, which in turn induced mental wellbeing and perceived uncertainty. While mental wellbeing significantly predicted attitudes towards international travel and temporal avoidance behaviour, perceived uncertainty significantly predicted short-term avoidance behaviour. The insight obtained from this study provides a mechanism behind tourist avoidance behaviour in times of global health crises and implications for tourism reliant destinations to develop recovery strategies in coping with the impact of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Socioloski Pregled is the property of Srpsko Sociolosko Drustvo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: How do the police officers perceive health risk, psychological distress, and work stress during the COVID-19 outbreak in China? This study explores the health risk perception, work stress, and psychological distress of police officers who worked at the front line to implement lockdown measures. Materials and Methods: We conducted a large-scale field survey (N = 5,611) with police officers sample in the northwestern part of China from February 29 to March 7, 2020. Independent-sample T -test and ANOVA were used to analyze whether there are differences in health risk perception, work stress, and psychological distress between different groups. The regression analysis was employed to figure out the factors that influence police officers' psychological distress. Results: Results showed a gender difference in perceiving work stress among police officers. Also, police officers with chronic disease perceived higher health risks, more psychological distress, and higher work stress. Additionally, police officers above 45 years old significantly perceived higher health risks than young officers did. It also revealed that working hours contribute to police officers' health risk perception, psychological distress, and work stress. Finally, our results highlight that age, working hours, chronic disease, health risk perception, and work stress significantly contribute to police officers' psychological distress. Conclusion: Our research verifies that there is a gender difference in perceiving work stress among police officers. Police officers with ongoing medical issues and above 45 years old suffer more during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Our research suggests that the government should pay more attention to their physical health and mental health. The heavy workload containing the COVID-19 extends police officers' working hours, causing higher health risks, work stress, and psychological distress. This study contributes to the psychological distress literature and provides a way forward to other countries struggling to contain the COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of epidemic risk has been associated with the production of narratives in which figures such as villains and heroes emerge. This article critically analyzes social media users' construction of heroic figures during the 2013–2016 Ebola epidemic. We used international Twitter and Facebook comments as our raw material, collected by key word extraction. A thematic analysis resulted in a descriptive typology of three heroic figures: the martyr, the warrior, and the saviour. Our analysis showed that heroic status (highly associated with willingness to take high risks on behalf of others) was mostly conferred on common individuals and 'insiders' living in the Ebola-afflicted communities – often deemed 'unsung' – rather than the foreigners frequently heroised in previous crises. We deconstruct this heroisation dynamic, showing that it is a socially strategic move because it is embedded in a potential instrumentalization of heroes. First, this production of 'everyday heroes' may encourage the involvement of lay people in the epidemic response, by conveying that anyone can become a health hero. Second, we show that this heroisation process maintains the status quo by encouraging adherence to biomedical discourses, and by individualising the narrative and neglecting the structural changes needed to address the epidemic. Finally, we caution against discourses that seem socially 'progressive' but may be used as a smokescreen to hide discriminatory dynamics, and we recommend changes in communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the level of fear of smoking-related harms for teenagers of different gender, different levels of smoking behaviour, and difference in smoking levels of friends and family members, as influenced by warning graphic images on cigarette packs. The study also compared levels of this fear in categories based on participants’ perception (e.g., scarier or less scary images). Design and Methods: The sample group was 353 undergraduate students at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok, Thailand. Questionnaires containing 21 warning graphic images, aimed at measuring levels of fear of smoking-related harms, were conducted. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, such as independent and dependent t-test, were used to analyse the data. Results: The results showed that warning graphic images exhibiting patients suffering from cancers (e.g., lung cancer or laryngeal cancer) and images of damaged body parts were perceived as the scariest warning images. In contrast, images that did not illustrate serious disease suffered by smokers were perceived as the least scary images. The scariest images generated a significant higher level of fear of smoking-related harms than the least scary images. In addition, non-smoking participants were more sensitive to scary warning images than smoking participants. It was also found that the level of fear of smoking-related harms was significantly based on individual cognitive judgment, and it was not affected by the influence of social groups such as friends and family members. Conclusions: Developing effective warning graphic images could directly contribute to individuals’ perceived health risks and danger associated with smoking.

Background: This study investigated the level of fear of smoking- related harms for teenagers of different gender, different levels of smoking behaviour, and difference in smoking levels of friends and family members, as influenced by warning graphic images on cigarette packs. The study also compared levels of this fear in categories based on participants’ perception (e.g., scarier or less scary images). Design and Methods: The sample group was 353 undergraduate students at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi in Bangkok, Thailand. Questionnaires containing 21 warning graphic images, aimed at measuring levels of fear of smoking-related harms, were conducted. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, such as independent and dependent ttest, were used to analyse the data. Results: The results showed that warning graphic images exhibiting patients suffering from cancers (e.g., lung cancer or laryngeal cancer) and images of damaged body parts were perceived as the scariest warning images. In contrast, images that did not illustrate serious disease suffered by smokers were perceived as the least scary images. The scariest images generated a significant higher level of fear of smoking-related harms than the least scary images. In addition, non-smoking participants were more sensitive to scary warning images than smoking participants. It was also found that the level of fear of smoking-related harms was significantly based on individual cognitive judgment, and it was not affected by the influence of social groups such as friends and family members. Conclusions: Developing effective warning graphic images could directly contribute to individuals’ perceived health risks and danger associated with smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health risk perception is an important predictor of health-protective behaviors according to the health belief model. However, the underlying mechanism connecting health risk perception and exercise behaviors is not well understood. The current study investigates how health risk perception predicts college students' exercise intention in the post-pandemic era in China and analyzes the mediating effect of health anxiety and the moderating effect of lay theories of health., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study adopted convenience sampling and recruited 767 students from a province in central China. The Health Risk Perception Scale, Health Anxiety Scale, Lay Theories of Health Scale, and the Chinese version of the Exercise Intention Scale were used to measure the levels of health risk perception, health anxiety, implicit health theory, and exercise intention, respectively., Results: The results of the moderated mediation model indicated that the health risk perception of college students significantly and positively affected exercise intention (β = 0.110, t = 2.852, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the indirect effect of health anxiety on the relationship between health risk perception and exercise intention was significant. Furthermore, lay theories of health buffered the association between health anxiety and exercise intention, according to the moderated mediation analysis (β = 0.068, t = 2.067, p < 0.05). For college students holding incremental health theory, the influence of health anxiety on exercise intention was positively and statistically significant., Conclusion: The health risk perception of college students can lead to health anxiety, which can positively affect their exercise intention. In addition, lay theories of health can moderate the effect of health anxiety on exercise intention. The results have practical implications for developing effective, applicable, and scalable interventions to promote physical exercise by reducing the level of entity theory of health or increasing the level of incremental theory., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wang, Liu, Yang and Wang.)

Influenza is a contagious virus affecting both one's health and economic productivity. This study evaluates uses a survey of 2168 individuals across the U.S. Ordered logit regressions are used to model risk perception and generalized ordered logit regressions are used to model risk mitigation travel-related decisions. Models are estimated for three influenza outbreak scenarios, specifically an individual's travel-related: 1) risk perceptions, 2) risk mitigation decisions when infected and the individual wants to prevent spreading it, and may want treatment, and 3) risk mitigation decisions when not infected and the individual wants to reduce exposure. Risk perception results show that a recent personal experience with influenza-like symptoms and being female significantly increased risk perception at mandatory and medical trip locations. Risk mitigation model results show that males are less likely to alter their travel patterns in response to the possible spreading of the virus or increasing exposure. Knowing the difference between influenza and the stomach flu is more influential in reducing travel than a recent influenza experience in one's household. Individuals proactive with their health (i.e., receive the vaccine, have health insurance) are also proactive in seeking medical attention and reducing influenza spread. Lastly, aligned with the Protection Motivation Theory, individuals reduce travel to locations in which they perceived medium or high risk. However, increased risk perceived at one's work location did not significantly reduce travel. The findings provide insight into the risk perception and mitigation behavior of the American public during the COVID-19 pandemic and after restrictions are lifted.

The paper examines risk perceptions of urban and peri-urban vegetable farmers in relation to their on-farm activities. The study involved 66 in-depth interviews with vegetable farmers from four farming sites in urban and peri-urban Kumasi using interview guide and systematic observations. Relevant data were analysed thematically using NVivo 9 analytical software. Findings show that most vegetable farmers used contaminated water for irrigation and also applied fertilizers and pesticides to crops without any regulations. While these practices are potential health threats to both farmers and the unsuspecting public, the farmers perceived it otherwise and demonstrated lack of knowledge of the harmful health effects of these chemical compounds and the wastewater utilised. The paper argues that the current vegetable farming practices in the study communities are consequences of farmers' low risk perception, which is shaped by socio-economic, political and cultural circumstances. Effective monitoring by environmental health agencies, coupled with sustained public education and campaigns on the potential health risks of unsafe farming practices could engender acceptable behavioural change among farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of a novel infectious disease, changing our collective behaviour is critical to saving lives. One determinant of risk perception and risk behaviour that is often overlooked is the degree to which we share psychological group membership with others. We outline, and summarize supporting evidence for, a theoretical model that articulates the role of shared group membership in attenuating health risk perception and increasing health risk behaviour. We emphasize the importance of attending to these processes in the context of the ongoing response to COVID‐19 and conclude with three recommendations for how group processes can be harnessed to improve this response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-standard working hours are associated with negative health outcomes. However, little is known about the early years of exposure to non-standard work hours, or whether workers new to these work schedules perceive their work as impacting their health. This limits our ability to develop meaningful intervention strategies for transitioning into non-standard work hour schedules. This exploratory study investigated whether recent Australian graduates in various nonstandard workhour schedules perceive that their work schedule negatively impacts their health. The responses of 120 graduates within four years of completing their tertiary qualification collected from an online survey were analysed. Graduates were asked whether they perceived their work arrangements as impacting their health. Significantly more of those who were engaged in non-standard work schedules or worked beyond contracted hours perceived their working arrangements as having an impact on their health. This study highlights the importance of studying workers' perceptions of the impact of work hours on health, particularly when workers may be experiencing good global health but be at risk for negative health outcomes in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]