Tuning in and catching on? Examining the relationship between pandemic communication and awareness and knowledge of MERS in the USA

Large-scale influenza outbreaks over the last decade, such as SARS and H1N1, have brought to global attention the importance of emergency risk communication and prompted the international community to develop communication responses. Since pandemic outbreaks are relatively infrequent, there is a dea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Public Health 2017-06, Vol.39 (2), p.282-289
Main Authors: Lin, Leesa, McCloud, Rachel F., Bigman, Cabral A., Viswanath, Kasisomayajula
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Communication
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data
Epidemiology
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Influenza, Human - epidemiology
Information Dissemination - methods
Male
Middle Aged
Original
Pandemics - statistics & numerical data
Public Health - methods
United States - epidemiology
Young Adult
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Summary:Large-scale influenza outbreaks over the last decade, such as SARS and H1N1, have brought to global attention the importance of emergency risk communication and prompted the international community to develop communication responses. Since pandemic outbreaks are relatively infrequent, there is a dearth of evidence addressing the following questions: (i) Have the resources invested in strategic and routine communication for past pandemic outbreaks yielded public health preparedness benefits? (ii) Have past efforts sensitized people to pay attention to new pandemic threats? The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) that was followed closely by major media outlets in the USA provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between exposure to public communication about epidemics and public awareness and knowledge about new risks. In December, 2013, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of 627 American adults and examined the associations between people's awareness to prior pandemics and their awareness of and knowledge about MERS. Awareness of prior pandemics was significantly associated with awareness and knowledge of MERS. The most common sources from which people first heard about MERS were also identified. Communication inequalities were observed between racial/ethnic and socioeconomic positions, suggesting a need for more effective pandemic communication.
ISSN:1741-3842
1741-3850
DOI:10.1093/pubmed/fdw028