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Volume 14, Number 5—May 2008
Policy Review

Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Robert J. Blendon*Comments to Author , Lisa M. Koonin†, John M. Benson*, Martin S. Cetron†, William E. Pollard†, Elizabeth W. Mitchell†, Kathleen J. Weldon*, and Melissa J. Herrmann‡
Author affiliations: *Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; †Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ‡International Communications Research, Media, Pennsylvania, USA;

Main Article

Table 4

Responses to questions about potential problems adhering to public health recommendations, by household income, and race/ethnicity*

Question
Total
Household income

Race/ethnicity
<$25K
$25–49.9K
$50–74.9K
>$75K
White (non-Hispanic)
Black (non-Hispanic)
Hispanic
All respondents
n = 1,697 n = 226 n = 366 n = 300 n = 501 n = 1,345 n = 133 n = 114
If public health officials recommended, would not be able to take care of sick household member for 7–10 d 
at home 13 19† 16† 6 6 12 19 15
Do not have someone who could care for you at home if you were sick
24
36‡
25§
22
15

23
34¶
20
If asked to stay home 7–10 d, likely that:
You or a member of your
household might lose pay and 
have money problems 48 57§ 58§ 49§ 35 43 68# 66#
You or a member of your 
household might be unable to 
get the health care or 
prescription drugs that you 
need 43 57‡ 43§ 38 35 41 52# 49
You or a member of your 
household might lose your job 
or business as a result of 
having to stay home 27
41‡
30§
24§
14

20
41#
53#
Employed respondents
n = 1,101
n = 91
n = 224
n = 224
n = 406

n = 855
n = 87
n = 79
Would be a serious financial problem if had to stay home from work for 7–10 d 25 56‡ 29† 15 15 23 20 37#
Would be a serious financial problem if had to stay home from work for 1 mo 57 84‡ 69† 50§ 37 53 65# 68#
Would be a serious financial problem if had to stay home from work for 3 mo 76 93‡ 84† 71 64 74 76 88#
If had to stay home for 1 mo, would not be able to work from home for that long
69
85†
79§
71§
55

67
77
77
If you had to stay away from work, you:
Would still get paid 35 14 25 47** 51** 39†† 29 22
Would not get paid 42 64† 57† 30 18 41 48 55
Don’t know 22 22 18 22 23 20 22 23

*From the Harvard School of Public Health, Pandemic Influenza Survey, 2006. Numbers represent percentage responding “yes” to each question.
†Statistically higher proportion than $50–74.9K and >$75K.
‡Statistically higher proportion than $25–49.9K, $50–74.9K, and >$75K.
§Statistically higher proportion than >$75K.
¶Statistically higher proportion than whites and Hispanics.
#Statistically higher proportion than whites.
**Statistically higher proportion than <$25K and $25–49.9K.
††Statistically higher proportion than Hispanics.

Main Article

Page created: July 08, 2010
Page updated: July 08, 2010
Page reviewed: July 08, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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