Public responses to precautionary information from the Department of Health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones

Abstract

Understanding public perceptions of health information is of increasing importance in the light of the growing imperatives upon regulators to communicate information about risk and uncertainty.Communicating the possible health risks from mobile telecommunications is a domain that allows consideration of both public perceptions of uncertain public health information and public responses to precautionary advice. This research reports the results of a nationally representative survey in the UK (n = 1742) that explored public responses to a leaflet issued by the Department of Health (DoH) in 2000 providing information about the possible health risks of mobile phones. The aims of the study were twofold: a) to assess awareness of the leaflet and the extent to which participants could identify the precautionary advice that the leaflet contained as coming from the Government; and b) to examine publics" responses to the current Government precautionary advice about mobile phone health risks; was this associated with increased concern or reassurance? The results indicate the importance of policy makers developing a clear understanding of the possible effects of communicating precautionary advice.

Effects of Early-Onset Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure (GSM 900 MHz) on Behavior and Memory in Rats

“…Several research groups have addressed this question, suggesting that precautionary approaches tend to intensify rather than attenuate perceptions of risk (Barnett et al, 2007(Barnett et al, & 2008Schütz, Wiedemann & Clauberg, 2007;Timotijevic & Barnett, 2006;Wiedemann & Schütz, 2005;Wiedemann et al, 2006). Conceptual scientific considerations of precaution from a social perspective can be found in the work of Stilgoe (2007).…”

Risk Assessment of Radio Frequencies and Public Information

“…The results show that the comprehension of the m essages does appe ar to be principally rooted in prec aution, and tha t the precautionary advice is generally perceived as worrying rather than reassuring information. 36 Another study applied as well to mobile phones in Denmark (n= 1 687) shows that information can increase concern in a lar ge part of t he population. 37 These results, obtained through different methodologies and in several countries, converge and reveal the active role of population in their interpretation of risk in formation.…”

Exposition sociocognitive et évaluation des risques : le cas de la téléphonie mobile

“…Pour vérifier ce qu'il en est au Royaume-Uni de l'impact des avis diffusés par le gouvernement concernant les risques potentiels de la téléphonie mobile, les chercheurs utilisent la méthode du focus group (en l'occurrence des groupes présentant des caractéristiques différentes en âge, sensibilisation et préoccupations aux risque des antennes relais, usages du téléphonie mobile). Les résultats montrent que la compréhension des avis EXPOSITION SOCIOCOGNITIVE ET ÉVALUATION DES RISQUES n'apparaît pas principalement ancrée dans la précaution, l'avis paraissant généralement interprété comme une information préoccupante plutôt que rassurante (Barnett et al, 2007). Une étude conduite récemment sur un échantillon de 1 687 personnes au Danemark et s'appliquant à la téléphonie mobile, montre que l'information peut augmenter les préoccupations parmi une proportion importante de la population (Nielsen et al, 2010).…”