Table 5 Factors reported and their influence on epidemic risk perceptions, by element of the SARF
Category | SARF element | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Information sources and channels | Social stations | Individual stations | Institutional and social behaviour | |
n = 4 | n = 0 | n = 14 | n = 0 | |
General population | ||||
 Factors reported to have an influence on risk perception | Access to three or more information sources Access to community information sources (e.g. community leaders, friends and relatives) Access to new media (e.g. internet, text messages) | – | Family size Occupation Belief in divine or spiritual protection against harm Disease case fatality ratios and infection risks Phase of an outbreak Disease’s responsiveness to community infection control measures Familiarity/novelty of disease Disease severity Personal self-efficacy Vaccination Among some high-risk occupational groups: knowledge of and preference of a person’s services/products Cultural sensitivities or tendencies | – |
 Factors reported to not have an influence on risk perception | – | – | Employment status Religion | – |
 Factors inconsistently influencing risk perceptions | Previous community experience of disease Newspapers, brochures and billboards as epidemic information sources | – | Education level Disease-specific knowledge Rural or urban residence Marital status Income level Gender Age Compliance with protective behaviours | – |
|  | n = 2 | n = 0 | n = 2 | n = 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Health professionals | ||||
 Factors reported to have an influence on risk perception | Disease-specific knowledge e.g. through training | – | Familiarity with clinical presentation Speed of disease spread Predictability of outbreak Availability of a pharmacological cure Possibility of encounters with infected patients Witnessing deaths among colleagues Potential to spread infection to others in the community | Efficacy of health system response Access to vaccination Existence of vaccine research |
 Factors reported to not have an influence on risk perception | – | – | – | – |
 Factors inconsistently influencing risk perceptions | – | – | – | – |