Using data from 13 surveys of the public, this article compares the public's response to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Ontario (specifically, Toronto), the other Canadian provinces, and the United States, which had substantial differences in the number of SARS cases. Findings suggest that, even at a relatively low level of spread among the population, the SARS outbreak had a significant psychological and economic impact. They also suggest that the success of efforts to educate the public about the risk of SARS and appropriate precautions was mixed. Some of the community-wide problems with SARS might have been avoided with better communication by public health officials and clinicians.

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Our results suggest the need for public education about smallpox. These data also point to the importance of a discussion in the medical community about the advisability of vaccination of individual physicians at this time.

In response to the possibility of a bioterror attack using smallpox, many states have updated and revised their current public health laws in line with the Model Act, which would effectively give states the right to invoke mandatory state health powers, such as quarantine or vaccine. Previous studies have supported the importance of allying with the public in creating and implementing effective bioterror response policies. Historical case studies and recent research suggest that when the public is not supportive of government health policies, they may be less willing to comply. In this study we analyze a recent survey to determine the effects of a set of variables, including aspects of trust in government that have been found in previous studies to influence public opposition to compulsory government health policies, on opinions about compulsory vaccination and quarantine.

We evaluate effects of low socioeconomic position (SEP) and social networks among Black Hurricane Katrina victims on access to and processing of evacuation orders, and abilities to evacuate before the storm hit. We also explore whether SEP, moderating conditions, and communication outcomes affected risk perceptions of the storm's severity and compliance with evacuation orders. We conducted stepwise logistic regression analyses using survey data collected in September 2005 among Black respondents in shelters throughout Houston, TX. Having few social networks, being unemployed, and being of younger age were significantly associated with having heard evacuation orders and whether victims' perceived having heard clear orders. This study provides implications for targeted public health emergency campaigns and future research to understand the effects of sociodemographic influences on communication inequalities and public health preparedness.

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News coverage of health topics influences knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at the individual level, and agendas and actions at the institutional and policy levels. Because disparities in health often are the result of social inequalities that require community-level or policy-level solutions, news stories employing a health disparities news frame may contribute to agenda-setting among opinion leaders and policymakers and lead to policy efforts aimed at reducing health disparities. This study objective was to conduc an exploratory analysis to qualitatively describe barriers that health journalists face when covering health disparities in local media. Between June and October 2007, 18 journalists from television, print, and radio in Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester, Massachusetts, were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone, and the crystallization/immersion method was used to conduct a qualitative analysis of interview transcripts. Our results revealed that journalists said that they consider several angles when developing health stories, including public impact and personal behavior change. Challenges to employing a health disparities frame included inability to translate how research findings may impact different socioeconomic groups, and difficulty understanding how findings may translate across racial/ethnic groups. Several journalists reported that disparities-focused stories are “less palatable” for some audiences. This exploratory study offers insights into the challenges that local news media face in using health disparities news frames in their routine coverage of health news. Public health practitioners may use these findings to inform communication efforts with local media in order to advance the public dialogue about health disparities.

Despite a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards in lower socioeconomic positions (SEP) and racial/ethnic minority communities, research suggests that such communities may have concerns about environmental risks different from those of their higher SEP and White counterparts. These groups also face disproportionate barriers to accessing and utilizing public health information. Little work has focused on the environmental risk communication barriers that low-SEP minorities face. This paper reports on the results of seven focus groups conducted in three low-SEP Massachusetts communities, with an over-sample of racial/ethnic minorities. We explored (1) definitions of the environment, (2) perceptions of environmental health effects, (3) information-seeking behaviors around these issues, and (4) challenges to accessing and utilizing information. The local environment shapes these communities' perceptions of environmental risks; they face considerable barriers to accessing, understanding, and utilizing other sources of information about environmental health risks. We discuss the implications for future targeted campaigns to reduce negative impacts of environmental health risks.