RAPID: Risk perception and health-related knowledge and practice

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Humanitarian responders have a high risk of contracting travel-related illnesses which can be carried back to the US and pose a threat to the health of the population. Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) are important factors relating to risk of travel-related illness, yet little is known about how risk perception impacts behavior among humanitarian responders. The research team developed a conceptual framework that integrates the Tripartite Model of Risk Perception (TRIRISK) Model into a KAP framework to assess whether KAPs on travel-related health risks influence TRIRISK perceptions and whether those perceptions, in turn, influence protective health behaviors and ultimately health outcomes. Research using this model has focused on behavioral intentions as the outcome. This study extends the TRIRISK Model by validating its use in acute diseases and provides the first look at the role knowledge has in forming TRIRISK perceptions and the association between the TRIRISK perceptions and health behaviors. This research improves our understanding of how knowledge and risk perception impact the decisions, behaviors and health outcomes for humanitarian workers responding to disasters and enables the development of more targeted and effective guidance materials for agencies and healthcare providers to share with travelers. The overall goal of this research project is to identify the knowledge and risk perception of humanitarian aid workers in relation to the health behaviors they engage in during a deployment to a foreign disaster zone and how those behaviors relate to their risk of becoming ill. This project adapts the Tripartite Model of Risk Perception (TRIRISK) by including knowledge, attitudes, and practices to it and exploring both health behaviors and health outcomes. The research uses a purposive sample of 100 humanitarian aid workers who are responding to the two tropical cyclones. These humanitarian aid workers are from US government agencies (primarily USAID), UN and WHO agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The research team administers a questionnaire assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices related to protecting their health while traveling, as well as assessing risk perceptions in relation to travel-related illness. Additionally, the participants maintain a daily log of their eating, drinking, and hygiene behaviors as well as any illness episodes during their deployment. Multi-variate modeling of the data follows the adapted theoretical model analyzing the impact of KAP and risk perception on health behaviors and ultimately health outcomes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.