Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, CA 94350, USA.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2011 Oct;5(3):235-41. doi: 10.1001/dmp.2011.69.
To study when and how an urgent public health message about a boil-water order reached an urban population after the Massachusetts water main break.
In-person surveys were conducted in waiting areas of clinics and emergency departments at a large urban safety net hospital within 1 week of the event.
Of 533 respondents, 97% were aware of the order; 34% of those who lived in affected cities or towns were potentially exposed to contaminated water. Among those who were aware, 98% took action. Respondents first received the message through word of mouth (33%), television (25%), cellular telephone calls (20%), landline calls (10%), and other modes of communication (12%). In multivariate analyses, foreign-born respondents and those who lived outside the city of Boston had a higher risk of exposure to contaminated water. New modes (eg, cellular telephones) were used more commonly by females and younger individuals (ages 18 to 34). Individuals who did not speak English at home were more likely to receive the message through their personal networks.
Given the increasing prevalence of cellular telephone use, public officials should encourage residents to register landline and cellular telephone for emergency alerts and must develop creative ways to reach immigrants and non-English-speaking groups quickly via personal networks.
研究在马萨诸塞州主供水管破裂后，城市居民何时以及如何收到有关沸水令的紧急公共卫生信息。
在事件发生后一周内，在一家大型城市医疗保障医院的诊所和急诊部门的等候区进行了面对面的调查。
在 533 名受访者中，97%的人知晓该命令；34%居住在受影响城市或城镇的人可能接触到受污染的水。在那些知情的人中，98%采取了行动。受访者首先通过口口相传（33%）、电视（25%）、手机电话（20%）、固定电话（10%）和其他通讯方式（12%）收到了信息。在多变量分析中，外国出生的受访者和居住在波士顿市以外的受访者接触受污染水的风险更高。新的通讯方式（如手机）更常被女性和年轻人（18 至 34 岁）使用。在家不讲英语的人更有可能通过他们的个人网络接收信息。
鉴于手机使用越来越普遍，政府官员应鼓励居民注册固定电话和手机以接收紧急警报，并必须通过个人网络寻找创造性的方法，迅速联系移民和非英语群体。
