Study on Environmental Health Risk Perception of the Population –
A Case Study

Gyula Dura1, Tamás Pándics1, Brigitta Reizer1, Péter Rudnai1, and Pawel Gorynski2

1 National Institute of Environmental Health, Budapest, Hungary
2 National Institute of Public Health, Warsaw, Poland

Corresponding author: Gyula Dura, Dr.
    National Institute of Environmental Health
    Gyáli út 2-6
    H-1097 Budapest, Hungary
    E-mail: dura.gyula@oki.antsz.hu

CEJOEM 2008, Vol.14. No.3.: 299-309

Key words:
risk perception, risk communication, environmental health

Abstract:
Perception of risk is a subjective decision-making process, which plays an important role, beside other areas, in environmental health, too. Concerning the more and more widespread effects of environmental pollution on health, apart from the experts’ risk assessment, health risk perception of the population is also of great importance. The rational risk perception of the population has a significant effect on the risk, and reduces the probability of a health lesion. Health risk perception of the population, the relation between environment and health, the frequency of the possible environmental related illnesses and the knowledge level about environmental risk factors were examined. The study was carried out in a provincial town of Hungary with 13,000  inhabitants using a questionnaire developed for an international survey and adapted to the local attitude. In the course of 500  interviews, (10% of all local households) the following results were found: two-thirds of the interviewees judged the environment polluted, and considered the illnesses of their children environmental-related in the same proportion. The results showed low level of knowledge about the local situation of environmental pollution and diseases. Significant correlation was found between the rational risk perception and the level of education. The results of the study showed the applicability of the paradigms worked out on risk perception which can help to improve the effectiveness of the risk communication, the rational judgment of the local industrial arrangements and the prevention of the environmental-related diseases.

Received: 12 February 2009
Accepted: 23 March 2009
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