Volume 13, Number 9—September 2007
Research
Precautionary Behavior in Response to Perceived Threat of Pandemic Influenza
M. Zia Sadique*†
, W. John Edmunds*, Richard D. Smith‡, William Jan Meerding§, Onno de Zwart§¶, Johannes Brug§, and Philippe Beutels#
, W. John Edmunds*, Richard D. Smith‡, William Jan Meerding§, Onno de Zwart§¶, Johannes Brug§, and Philippe Beutels#Table 1
Variables measured in survey of risk perception for pandemic influenza, Europe and Asia*
| Variable | Definition | Mean score (SD) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Respondents from Europe (n = 2,196) | Respondents from Asia (n = 1,240) | ||
| SARS risk perception | Risk perception score (1–5) | 2.47 (0.95) | 2.95 (1.13) |
| Influenza risk perception | Risk perception score (1–5) | 2.95 (1.01) | 2.83 (1.05) |
| Influenza severity | Perceived severity of influenza (1–10) | 6.94 (2.55) | 6.56 (2.69) |
| Influenza vulnerability | Perceived vulnerability to influenza infection (1–5) | 2.81 (1.17) | 2.75 (1.24) |
| Sex | 1 if female | 0.40 (0.49) | 0.45 (0.50) |
| Age | Age in years | 47.46 (14.32) | 39.13 (15.03) |
| Education medium | 1 if respondent has more than a secondary but at least a higher secondary education | 0.59 (0.49) | 0.51 (0.50) |
| Education high | 1 if respondent has university qualification | 0.30 (0.46) | 0.42 (0.49) |
| Urban area | 1 if respondent’s area of residence is city/town | 0.61 (0.49) | 0.96 (0.20) |
| European region | 1 if respondent is from European region | NA | NA |
| High-risk scenario | 1 if given outbreak scenario is high risk | 0.50 (0.50) | 0.66 (0.47) |
| Health | Health status on 1–6 Likert scale | 4.28 (1.10) | 4.25 (1.08) |
| Vaccinated | 1 if vaccinated against influenza in past year | 0.19 (0.39) | 0.22 (0.41) |
| Employed | 1 if employed | 0.60 (0.49) | 0.60 (0.49) |
*NA, not available.
