Associations between Case Fatality Rates and Self-Reported Fear of Neoplasms and Circulatory Diseases.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Medical Decision Making

Background:

• Decision by sampling theory suggests memory stores event frequencies as subjective representations.
• Fear is a natural response to perceived threats, particularly the threat of death.
• Case fatality rate (CFR) quantifies disease deadliness and may influence fear perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between disease case fatality rates (CFRs) and public fear ratings.
• To test the hypothesis that higher CFRs are associated with increased self-reported fear of diseases.

Main Methods:

• 239 participants rated 110 neoplasms and circulatory diseases on fear, typicality, and disgust.
• Participants estimated disease mortality and morbidity rates and completed the Berlin Numeracy Test.
• Case fatality rates (CFRs) were sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO) database.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between relative case fatality rates (CFRs) and fear ratings (r = 0.42).
• This association persisted on aggregate and individual levels, controlling for various factors including numeracy and demographics.
• Women reported higher fear for neoplasms than circulatory diseases; typicality correlated with morbidity rates.

Conclusions:

• Implicitly acquired case fatality rate (CFR) information from daily life may influence fear intensity towards diseases.
• Findings suggest a link between objective disease deadliness and subjective fear responses.