An Analysis on the Impact of Food Risk Communication on Agro-Food Consumption

The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impacts of household life cycles in Santiago, Chile, by household income level. The assessment considered scenarios associated with environmental policies. The life cycle assessment was cradle-to-grave, and the functional unit considered all the materials and energy required to meet an inhabitant’s needs for one year (1 inh/year). Using SimaPro 9.1 software, the Recipe Midpoint (H) methodology was used. The impact categories selected were global warming, fine particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, mineral resource scarcity, and fossil resource scarcity. The inventory was carried out through the application of 300 household surveys and secondary information. The main environmental sources of households were determined to be food consumption, transport, and electricity. Food consumption is the main source, responsible for 33% of the environmental impacts on global warming, 69% on terrestrial acidification, and 29% on freshwater eutrophication. The second most crucial environmental hotspot is private transport, whose contribution to environmental impact increases as household income rises, while public transport impact increases in the opposite direction. In this sense, both positive and negative environmental effects can be generated by policies. Therefore, life-cycle environmental impacts, the synergy between policies, and households’ socio-economic characteristics must be considered in public policy planning and consumer decisions.

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The Impact of Health Risk Communication: A Study on the Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Epidemics in Curaçao, Analyzed by the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF)

Qualitative Health Research ◽

10.1177/10497323211007815 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104973232110078

Author(s):

Milou J. F. van Goudoever ◽

Vaitiare I. C. Mulderij-Jansen ◽

Ashley J. Duits ◽

Adriana Tami ◽

Izzy I. Gerstenbluth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Communication ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Social Amplification Of Risk ◽

Vector Borne Diseases ◽

News Reports ◽

Risk Framework ◽

The Government ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Risk Reducing

Epidemics of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika have been threatening the Caribbean. Since risk communication (RC) plays a fundamental role in preventing and controlling diseases understanding how RC works is essential for enabling risk-reducing behavior. This multimethod qualitative study compares news reports with local’s and health professional’s perspectives, currently lacking in RC research. It was found that RC strategies were obstructed by a lack of governmental structure, organization, and communication. The content analysis showed that the majority of newspaper articles contained negative reporting on the government. Furthermore, this study shows how trust and heuristics attenuate or amplify people’s risk perceptions and possibly positively and negatively influence people’s risk-reducing behavior. A transcending approach (e.g., structural, cooperative, and multidisciplinary) of the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases and the corresponding RC is recommended.

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Influence of COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviors in the Middle East and North Africa Region: a survey of 5896 individuals

Journal of Translational Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12967-021-02767-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohamed Abouzid ◽

◽

Dina M. El-Sherif ◽

Nael Kamel Eltewacy ◽

Nesrine Ben Hadj Dahman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Middle East ◽

Food Consumption ◽

North Africa ◽

Fast Food ◽

Online Survey ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Mena Region ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected health and lifestyle behaviors of people globally. This project aims to identify the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle behavior of individuals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during confinement. Methods We conducted an online survey in 17 countries (Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, and Sudan) from the MENA region on August and September 2020. The questionnaire included self-reported information on lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity, eating habits, smoking, watching television, social media use and sleep before and during the pandemic. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviors. Results A total of 5896 participants were included in the final analysis and 62.8% were females. The BMI of the participants was 25.4 ± 5.8 kg/m2. Around 38.4% of the participants stopped practicing any physical activities during the confinement (P < 0.001), and 57.1% reported spending more than 2 h on social media (P < 0.001). There were no significant changes in smoking habits. Also, 30.9% reported an improvement in their eating habits compared with 24.8% reported worsening of their eating habits. Fast-food consumption decreased significantly in 48.8% of the study population. This direct/indirect exposure to COVID-19 was associated with an increased consumption of carbohydrates (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02–1.17; P = 0.01), egg (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.02–1.16; P = 0.01), sugar (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02–1.16; P = 0.02), meat, and poultry (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.06–1.20; P < 0.01). There was also associated increase in hours spent on watching television (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.02–1.12; P < 0.01) and social media (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.01–1.18; P = 0.03). However, our results showed a reduction in sleeping hours among those exposed to COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.77–0.94; P < 0.01). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increase in food consumption and sedentary life. Being exposed to COVID-19 by direct infection or through an infected household is a significant predictor of amplifying these changes. Public health interventions are needed to address healthy lifestyle behaviors during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Expanding CERC Beyond Public Health: Sharing Best Practices With Healthcare Managers via Virtual Learning

Health Promotion Practice ◽

10.1177/1524839908319090 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 9 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 83S-87S ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Anne M. Hewitt ◽

Susan S. Spencer ◽

Rameshsharma Ramloll ◽

Heidi Trotta

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Best Practices ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Virtual Learning ◽

Virtual Learning Environment ◽

Communication Model ◽

Health Administration ◽

The Impact

Developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002, the Crisis Emergency and Risk Communication (CERC) training module is a nationally and internationally recognized communication model. With the looming threat of a pandemic and the potential for a protracted ongoing siege, a valuable opportunity exists to introduce crisis and emergency preparedness communication best practices to a new population—health care managers and administrators. The CERC toolkit and resources, provide an easy, turn-key solution and a validated template for educators who are not directly involved in public health education but desire to share this content. In this example, graduate students enrolled in an Master of Health Administration program, used a Play2Train scenario, located in the virtual learning environment of SecondLife (2007), to incorporate concepts from the CERC model. By applying the CERC best practices in a real-time virtual learning scenario, students learned collaboration and the leadership competencies necessary to help implement Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations emergency communication protocols and community collaboration requirements. By expanding the impact of the CERC model and developing unified risk communication responses and information sharing, all health professionals can enhance the effectiveness of their emergency preparedness plans so that the public can be better served.

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Dementia risk communication. A user manual for Brain Health Services—part 3 of 6

Alzheimer s Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13195-021-00840-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leonie N. C. Visser ◽

Carolina Minguillon ◽

Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides ◽

Marc Abramowicz ◽

Daniele Altomare ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Disease Status ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Brain Health ◽

Individual Level ◽

Risk Profiling ◽

Dementia Risk ◽

Dementia Incidence ◽

The Impact

AbstractGrowing evidence suggests dementia incidence can be reduced through prevention programs targeting risk factors. To accelerate the implementation of such prevention programs, a new generation of brain health services (BHS) is envisioned, involving risk profiling, risk communication, risk reduction, and cognitive enhancement. The purpose of risk communication is to enable individuals at risk to make informed decisions and take action to protect themselves and is thus a crucial step in tailored prevention strategies of the dementia incidence. However, communicating about dementia risk is complex and challenging.In this paper, we provide an overview of (i) perspectives on communicating dementia risk from an ethical, clinical, and societal viewpoint; (ii) insights gained from memory clinical practice; (iii) available evidence on the impact of disclosing APOE and Alzheimer’s disease biomarker test results gathered from clinical trials and observational studies; (iv) the value of established registries in light of BHS; and (v) practical recommendations regarding effective strategies for communicating about dementia risk.In addition, we identify challenges, i.e., the current lack of evidence on what to tell on an individual level—the actual risk—and on how to optimally communicate about dementia risk, especially concerning worried yet cognitively unimpaired individuals. Ideally, dementia risk communication strategies should maximize the desired impact of risk information on individuals’ understanding of their health/disease status and risk perception and minimize potential harms. More research is thus warranted on the impact of dementia risk communication, to (1) evaluate the merits of different approaches to risk communication on outcomes in the cognitive, affective and behavioral domains, (2) develop an evidence-based, harmonized dementia risk communication protocol, and (3) develop e-tools to support and promote adherence to this protocol in BHSs.Based on the research reviewed, we recommend that dementia risk communication should be precise; include the use of absolute risks, visual displays, and time frames; based on a process of shared decision-making; and address the inherent uncertainty that comes with any probability.

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‘Food is life’: Documenting the politics of food in Melanesia

Pacific Journalism Review – Te Koakoa ◽

10.24135/pjr.v21i2.119 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 77

Author(s):

Ceridwen Spark

Keyword(s):

Gender Roles ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Papua New Guinea ◽

Food Consumption ◽

New Guinea ◽

Population Management ◽

Creative Performance ◽

The Pacific ◽

West Papua ◽

The Impact

In this article, I discuss two recent examples of women’s filmmaking in Melanesia. The documentaries are Tanah Mama (2014), focused on West Papua and Café Niugini (2015), set in Papua New Guinea. Both films explore and represent food in profoundly different ways. Here, I consider their respective depictions of food, demonstrating that Tanah Mama represents food as sustenance while Café Niugini renders food as ‘cuisine’ through the ‘creative performance’ of cookery. Nevertheless, and as I argue, both documentaries reflect the filmmakers’ interest in representing issues associated with food in the Pacific, including the importance of Indigenous access to land, population management, gender roles and the impact of changing cultural values on food consumption and health.

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Assessment for the Impact of International Trade on the Global Water Supply-Demand Balance Focusing on Food Consumption

Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Japan ◽

10.3370/lca.14.21 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 21-35

Author(s):

Yohei YAMAGUCHI ◽

Kento TAMURA ◽

Naoki YOSHIKAWA ◽

Koji AMANO ◽

Seiji HASHIMOTO

Keyword(s):

International Trade ◽

Water Supply ◽

Food Consumption ◽

The Impact ◽

Global Water

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Food consumption of women during holidays: fit, healthy, or relaxed?

Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos - ABET ◽

10.34019/2238-2925.2020.v10.30147 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1, 2 e 3) ◽

Author(s):

Caner Çalişkan ◽

Çiğdem Sabbağ ◽

Bekir Bora Dedeoğlu

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Planning Process ◽

Social Roles ◽

Important Data ◽

Face To Face ◽

Data Source ◽

Role Of Women ◽

The Impact

During holidays, what, why, and how do women consume? Women’s attitudes and thoughts about food consumption should be researched in terms of their social roles. However, the important role of women in holiday planning process makes women's food consumption preferences and also behaviours an important data source especially for tourism managers. This study focused on the impact of holidays on women’s food consumption. For this purpose, face-to-face interviews were carried out with 15 women participants, who spent two holiday periods during the previous year – summer and winter – in Adıyaman, Turkey. According to the results of the survey, women’s food consumption preferences and behaviours change during the summer and winter holiday periods.

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Users’ perceptions about receiving personalized depression risk information: findings from a qualitative study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03590-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Heidi Eccles ◽

Doaa Nadouri ◽

Molly Nannarone ◽

Bonnie Lashewicz ◽

Norbert Schmitz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Risk Score ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Risk Information ◽

Depression Risk ◽

Communication Program ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives To understand users’ perceptions about receiving their personalized depression risk score and to gain an understanding about how to improve the efficiency of risk communication from the user perspective. Methods A qualitative study embedded in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on evaluating the impact of providing personalized depression risk information on psychological harms and benefits. The participants (20 males and 20 females) were randomly selected from the intervention arm of the RCT after the 12-month assessment. The qualitative interviews were conducted through telephone, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We conducted a content analysis to describe the content and contextual meaning of data collected from participants. Results The first theme explained the motivation for receiving a risk score. Most participants chose to receive their personalised depression risk score with the goal of improving their self-awareness. The results revealed three sub-themes surrounding perceptions and implication of receiving their risk score: positive, negative, and neutral. Most participants found that receiving their score was positive because it improved their awareness of their mental health, but some participants could see that some people would have negative feelings when getting the score causing them to be more likely to get depression. The final theme focussed on improvements including: the best delivery methods, having resources and strategies, and targeting younger people. Conclusion The most significant motivation for, and benefit of receiving one’s personalized depression risk score was improved awareness of one’s mental health. A comprehensive risk communication program may improve the uptake and maximize the impact on behavior changes and risk reduction.

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