Department of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 S. Paca St., 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Department of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 S. Paca St., 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Integrative Health Science, Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32723, USA.
Harmful Algae. 2016 Jul;57(Pt B):39-44. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2016.03.007. Epub 2016 Aug 30.
Risk perception is a complex process that refers to the way people approach, think about, and interpret risks in their environment. An important element of risk perception is that it is culturally situated. Since HABs can present a health risk in many places around the world, looking at cultural parameters for understanding and interpreting risks is important. This study examined how two different groups of people perceive the potential health risks of low-level exposure to domoic acid (DA) through razor clam consumption. The risk perceptions of Washington State, USA coastal dwelling Native American nations (NA) were compared to that of a community sample of recreational razor clam harvesters (CRH). Overall, the findings support the hypothesis that cultural and community specific contexts impact the perception of risk of a DA related illness. Specifically, the NA sample was distinguished from the CRH group in particular, by their worries about ocean pollution, attribution of DA risks to climate change, concerns about the potential impact of DA on future generations, and feeling of being better informed than the CRH group. The CRH group was more likely to attribute the DA problem to anthropogenic or industrial causes and view the risk of health problems from DA as lower than those associated with smoking, high cholesterol, anxiety or depression, alcoholism, high blood pressure or obesity. The CRH group was also more likely to turn to the media for DA-related information. Both groups trusted the decisions of state and tribe health and natural resources officials, and demonstrated a complex pattern of findings that involved gender. In summary, risk communication and outreach activities should be designed to take into consideration the specific factors that are unique to each cultural community.
风险感知是一个复杂的过程，指的是人们在环境中接近、思考和解释风险的方式。风险感知的一个重要元素是它具有文化背景。由于赤潮藻毒素（HABs）在世界许多地方都可能带来健康风险，因此了解和解释风险的文化参数非常重要。本研究通过贻贝消费考察了两组人对低水平暴露于软骨藻酸（DA）潜在健康风险的感知。与休闲贻贝采集者（CRH）的社区样本相比，美国华盛顿州沿海地区的原住民（NA）对低水平 DA 暴露的潜在健康风险的感知。总体而言，研究结果支持这样一种假设，即文化和社区特定背景会影响对与 DA 相关疾病的风险感知。具体来说，NA 样本与 CRH 组在多个方面存在显著差异，包括对海洋污染的担忧、将 DA 风险归因于气候变化、对 DA 对后代潜在影响的关注，以及比 CRH 组更有信心。CRH 组更倾向于将 DA 问题归因于人为或工业原因，认为 DA 引起健康问题的风险低于与吸烟、高胆固醇、焦虑或抑郁、酗酒、高血压或肥胖相关的风险。CRH 组也更倾向于从媒体获取与 DA 相关的信息。两组人都信任州和部落卫生和自然资源官员的决策，并表现出涉及性别等复杂的发现模式。总之，风险沟通和外展活动的设计应考虑到每个文化社区特有的特定因素。
