Perceptions on the risk communication strategy during the 2013 avian influenza A/H7N9 outbreak in humans in China: a focus group study

Li, Richun; Xie, Ruiqian; Yang, Chong; Frost, Melinda

In a 2014 study, 22 the majority of the participants stated that they believed government agencies had the capability to control the H7N9 outbreak and regarded official information sources as the most credible ones. While successful risk communication should motivate appropriate self-protective behaviour, 3 the general population's acceptance of behavioural advice is strongly influenced by perceptions of integrity, credibility and competency of the authority. 23 The majority of the participants reported that they followed the public health recommendations to wash hands, open the windows more frequently, thoroughly cook food and avoid direct contact with poultry and wild birds. 24 Our results suggest that the intensity of the media coverage is proportional to the public's anxiety level about the reported health risk, similar to a study from the United States of America. 25 At the beginning of the outbreak,