Understanding Public Perceptions of Benefits and Risks of Childhood Vaccinations in the United States

Abstract

In the face of a growing public health concern accompanying the reemerging threat of preventable diseases, this research seeks mainly to explain variations in the perceived benefits and risks of vaccinations among the general public in the United States. As Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky's grid-group cultural theory of risk perception claims, the analytical results based upon original data from a nationwide Internet survey of 1,213 American adults conducted in 2010 suggest that individuals' cultural predispositions contribute to the formation of their perceptions pertaining to vaccine benefits and risks at both societal and individual levels, in conjunction with other factors suggested by previous risk perception literature, such as perceived prevalence of diseases, trust, knowledge level, and demographic characteristics. Those with a strong hierarch orientation tend to envision greater benefits and lesser risks and conceive of a relatively high ratio of benefit to risk when compared to other cultural types. By contrast, those with a strong fatalist tendency are inclined to emphasize risks and downplay benefits while conceiving of a low vaccination benefit-risk ratio. Situated between hierarchs and fatalists, strong egalitarians are prone to perceive greater benefits, smaller risks, and a more positive benefit-risk ratio than strong individualists.

Public Risk Perceptions of Handgun Use in the United States

“…Another possible explanation for this finding is that because men are more likely to own a gun in comparison to women (NORC, 2015), they will perceive the risk of handguns to be lower. This explanation aligns with the cultural theory of risk, which suggests that the more an individual believes the hazard supports their way of life, the lower they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014).…”

“…In other words, the more an individual believes a hazard supports their way of life, the lower they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014). Conversely, the more an individual believes a particular hazard threatens their way of life, the higher they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014).…”

“…As a result, scholars have studied public risk perceptions using the cultural theory of risk (Kahan et al, 2011). The cultural theory of risk stems from the work of Douglas and Wildavsky (1983) and suggests that individuals form risk perceptions that reflect and sustain their way of life (Douglas and Wildvasky, 1983;Kahan et al, 2011;Song, 2014). In other words, the more an individual believes a hazard supports their way of life, the lower they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014).…”

“…The cultural theory of risk stems from the work of Douglas and Wildavsky (1983) and suggests that individuals form risk perceptions that reflect and sustain their way of life (Douglas and Wildvasky, 1983;Kahan et al, 2011;Song, 2014). In other words, the more an individual believes a hazard supports their way of life, the lower they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014). Conversely, the more an individual believes a particular hazard threatens their way of life, the higher they will perceive the risk of the hazard (Song, 2014).…”

Safety assessment of adjuvanted vaccines: Methodological considerations

“…However, the perceived benefits of vaccination may be less obvious to the public than its real or perceived risks. 4 In the past, public perception of a safety risk associated with vaccination has been linked to major decreases in vaccine coverage followed by severe disease outbreaks. For example, in the 1970s, concerns around the safety of whole-cell pertussis vaccines in the United Kingdom led to widespread public distrust of pertussis vaccination with dramatic falls in vaccine coverage, falling to 31% in 1978.…”