Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Predicting public concern regarding toxic substances in the environment.

H L Howe1

  • 1Division of Epidemiologic Studies, Illinois Department of Public Health, Springfield 62761.

Environmental Health Perspectives
|July 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer (1973 through 1998), featuring cancers with recent increasing trends.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute·2001
Same author

The annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1973-1997, with a special section on colorectal cancer.

Cancer·2000
Same author

Increased risk of malignancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research·1998
Same author

Toward a broader definition of heat-related death: comparison of mortality estimates from medical examiners' classification with those from total death differentials during the July 1995 heat wave in Chicago, Illinois.

The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology·1998
Same author

Cancer incidence and age at northern migration of African Americans in Illinois, 1986-1991.

Ethnicity & health·1997
Same author

Effects of physician outreach programs on rural-urban differences in breast cancer management.

The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association·1997

Public concern about environmental toxic substances is significantly influenced by information sources, education, and perceived proximity to contamination. Understanding these factors is key to addressing environmental health and economic worries.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Public Health
  • Risk Perception

Background:

  • Public concern regarding toxic substances is a critical factor in environmental policy and health outcomes.
  • Understanding the drivers of this concern is essential for effective risk communication and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key variables influencing public concern about the health, environmental, and economic impacts of toxic substances.
  • To analyze the relationships between information exposure, demographic factors, and environmental concern.

Main Methods:

  • A mail survey was administered to a New York State sample, achieving a 66% response rate.
  • Seven indices were developed to measure specific concerns (exposure, health effects, pollution, economic consequences).
  • Stepwise regression analysis was employed to identify significant predictors for each concern index.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The number of information sources on environmental issues strongly predicted concern across most models.
  • Higher education levels, positive attitudes towards government regulation, knowledge of epidemiology and the scientific method, and perceived proximity to contamination sources were significant predictors.
  • Contrary to some prior research, gender and maternal status of sick children were not significant predictors in this study.

Conclusions:

  • Public concern about environmental toxins is primarily driven by information access, education, and perceived personal risk.
  • Effective environmental communication strategies should leverage multiple information sources and address educational and risk perception factors.