Centre of Environmental Safety and Security, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 25;16(12):2250. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16122250.
This paper reports on the perceptions of risk related to practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate infill, and preferences for mitigation measures, among people with and without offspring exposed to rubber granulate. Two repeated surveys were conducted among members of the general population and parents of children aged under 18, in the middle of a dynamic public discussion about the potential health risks of exposure to rubber granulate. The first survey (N = 1033) was administered in December 2016 at a time characterized by considerable public uncertainty and contrasting opinions in the public risk debate. The second survey (N = 782) was conducted in January 2017 after the publication of a risk assessment report, which concluded that practicing sport on fields containing rubber granulate is safe. Multilevel analyses were performed to study changes in perceptions of risk and mitigation preferences in the time between the two surveys, the influence of being familiar with new information following the risk assessment report, and the differences in the perceptions of risk and mitigation preferences between groups with and without offspring exposed to rubber granulate. The results of this study show that, initially, a substantial proportion of the Dutch public perceived practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate as a potential health threat to children. Over time, after publication of a new risk assessment study stating that practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate is safe, perceived risk and preferences for mitigation of this risk decreased, especially among those who were familiar with the new information. Parents of children under the age of 18, in particular those with children who were exposed to rubber granulate, were more likely to perceive the risk as higher and to prefer a stricter mitigation policy. These insights may be important to inform public health communication strategies with respect to the timing and tailoring of risk messages to various groups.
本研究报告了人们对在含有橡胶颗粒填充的场地上进行体育运动相关风险的认知，以及对缓解措施的偏好，涉及接触过和未接触过橡胶颗粒的人群。本研究在一场关于接触橡胶颗粒潜在健康风险的公众讨论如火如荼进行时，在普通人群和 18 岁以下儿童的家长中进行了两次重复调查。第一次调查（N=1033）于 2016 年 12 月进行，当时公众对潜在风险感到非常不确定，在公众风险辩论中意见分歧。第二次调查（N=782）于 2017 年 1 月进行，此前发布了一份风险评估报告，该报告得出的结论是在含有橡胶颗粒的场地上进行体育运动是安全的。本研究采用多水平分析方法，研究了两次调查之间风险认知和缓解偏好的变化、在风险评估报告发布后对新信息的熟悉程度对风险认知和缓解偏好的影响，以及接触过和未接触过橡胶颗粒的人群在风险认知和缓解偏好方面的差异。本研究结果表明，最初，相当一部分荷兰公众认为在含有橡胶颗粒的场地上进行体育运动可能对儿童的健康构成威胁。随着时间的推移，在发布了一份新的风险评估研究报告，称在含有橡胶颗粒的场地上进行体育运动是安全的之后，人们对这种风险的感知和对缓解这种风险的偏好降低了，尤其是那些熟悉新信息的人。18 岁以下儿童的家长，尤其是那些其子女接触过橡胶颗粒的家长，更有可能认为风险更高，并更倾向于采取更严格的缓解措施。这些见解可能对制定公共卫生沟通策略具有重要意义，包括针对不同群体的风险信息的发布时机和针对性。
