Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107548

Sarah Bauerle Bass, PhD, MPH¹, Alice Hausman, PhD², Brenda F. Seals, PhD, MPH³, and Youngkyun Park, MS¹. (1) Department of Public Health, Temple University, 304 Vivacqua Hall, P.O. Box 2843, Philadelphia, PA 19122, 214-204-5110, sbass@temple.edu, (2) Temple University, Public Health Department, Vivacqua Hall, Room 304, Philadelphia, PA 19122, (3) MPH Program, Practice and Research Coordinator, Department of Public Health, Temple University, 301-F Vivacqua Hall, 1700 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122

Effective communication is key to maintaining and restoring order during times of emergency. Appropriate messages and strategies can also reduce mental distress associated with anticipating and coping with disasters. This paper presents results from a random-digit dialed survey of 1618 Pennsylvania residents who were asked to report their fears and concerns regarding emergencies, their level of preparedness for emergencies, their confidence in local governments and information sources, and their preferred communication channels. Respondents' exposure to natural disasters and terrorist attacks and their level of generalized anxiety (as measured by the BSI) were also measured. Results showed that 54.6% of respondents in PA had battery powered radios or televisions and 98.0% were somewhat or very likely to turn on the radio/TV to hear news during an emergency. Almost 75%, however, were unaware of information booklets offered by state agencies that provide strategies for coping in an emergency. Despite this, 31.3% of respondents said they were very likely to contact their local public health agency and 24.1% said they were very likely to contact their local government officials in times of disaster. These results show that the public has preferred avenues of communication in crises and see public health agencies as a reliable provider of information but are unaware of what those agencies currently have to offer. Appropriate risk communication strategies are an essential component of a public health response to emergencies. This paper will help provide data to understand which strategies are most effective in reducing mental distress.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand the public's preferred risk communication avenues during an emergency.
• To explore what risk communication strategies should be taken during an emergency.
• To learn how public anxiety is linked to risk communication messages.

Keywords: Risk Communication, Bioterrorism

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation