Table 4

Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Robert J. Blendon*

, 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

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

Question	Total	Household income				Race/ethnicity
Question	Total	<$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

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Volume 14, Number 5—May 2008

Policy Review

Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Table 4