TY - JOUR
T1 - Communicating with the public about emerging health threats
T2 - lessons from the pre-event message development project
AU - Wray, Ricardo J.
AU - Becker, Steven M.
AU - Henderson, Neil
AU - Glik, Deborah
AU - Jupka, Keri
AU - Middleton, Sarah
AU - Henderson, Carson
AU - Drury, Allison
AU - Mitchell, Elizabeth W.
PY - 2008/12/1
Y1 - 2008/12/1
N2 - Objectives. We sought to better understand the challenges of communicating with the public about emerging health threats, particularly threats involving toxic chemicals, biological agents, and radioactive materials. Methods. At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we formed an interdisciplinary consortium of investigative teams from 4 schools of public health. Over 2 years, the investigative teams conducted 79 focus group interviews with 884 participants and individual cognitive response interviews with 129 respondents, for a total sample of 1013 individuals. The investigative teams systematically compared their results with other published research in public health, risk communication, and emergency preparedness. Results. We found limited public understanding of emerging biological, chemical, and radioactive materials threats and of the differences between them; demand for concrete, accurate, and consistent information about actions needed for protection of self and family; active information seeking from media, local authorities, and selected national sources; and areas in which current emergency messaging can be improved. Conclusions. The public will respond to a threat situation by seeking protective information and taking self-protective action, underlining the critical role of effective communication in public health emergencies.
AB - Objectives. We sought to better understand the challenges of communicating with the public about emerging health threats, particularly threats involving toxic chemicals, biological agents, and radioactive materials. Methods. At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we formed an interdisciplinary consortium of investigative teams from 4 schools of public health. Over 2 years, the investigative teams conducted 79 focus group interviews with 884 participants and individual cognitive response interviews with 129 respondents, for a total sample of 1013 individuals. The investigative teams systematically compared their results with other published research in public health, risk communication, and emergency preparedness. Results. We found limited public understanding of emerging biological, chemical, and radioactive materials threats and of the differences between them; demand for concrete, accurate, and consistent information about actions needed for protection of self and family; active information seeking from media, local authorities, and selected national sources; and areas in which current emergency messaging can be improved. Conclusions. The public will respond to a threat situation by seeking protective information and taking self-protective action, underlining the critical role of effective communication in public health emergencies.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2006.107102
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2006.107102
M3 - Article
C2 - 18382011
AN - SCOPUS:57149110624
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 98
SP - 2214
EP - 2222
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 12
ER -