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Does Cumulative Risk Fit into Single Risk Frameworks?: Examining the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM)
Zoey Rosen1, Elizabeth Meister2, Andrew Fox2
1Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University, New York, New York, USA.
Journal of Health Communication
|July 16, 2026
Summary
The Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM) adequately fits environmental health risks, including cumulative risks. Further model additions are suggested for complex environmental hazards.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Risk Communication
- Health Behavior Theory
Background:
- The Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM) predicts health risk information seeking but hasn't been tested for environmental risks or cumulative risks.
- Cumulative risks involve multiple, compounding stressors with significant impacts, presenting a complex challenge for existing risk frameworks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the applicability and model fit of PRISM for single and cumulative environmental health risks.
- To evaluate if a general risk framework can accommodate complex, interacting environmental hazards.
Main Methods:
- A representative survey of 2,531 US adults was conducted.
- Participants were exposed to six experimental conditions involving single and cumulative environmental health risks.
- Statistical analysis was used to measure the model fit of PRISM for each condition.
Main Results:
- PRISM demonstrated adequate model fit across all tested environmental health risk conditions, including cumulative risks.
- However, not all hypothesized paths within the PRISM framework were fully supported for every condition.
- This suggests partial applicability but highlights areas for refinement.
Conclusions:
- PRISM can be applied to understand information seeking for environmental health risks, even complex cumulative ones.
- The study indicates that PRISM provides a foundational framework but requires modifications for enhanced robustness in the environmental health domain.
- Future research should focus on refining PRISM to better account for the intricacies of cumulative environmental risks.
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