Volume 17, Number 12—December 2011
Letter
Changing Perception of Avian Influenza Risk, Hong Kong, 2006–2010
Qiuyan Liao, Benjamin J. Cowling, Wing Tak Lam, and Richard Fielding
Table
Changes in perception of risk for avian influenza, live poultry exposure, and hygiene practices, Hong Kong, 2006–2010*
| Perception or practice | 2006 survey | 2010 survey | Differences, p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk perception | |||
| Perceived likelihood (likely/very likely/certain) | 18 | 14 | 0.201† |
| Worry (worry a bit/a lot/all the time) | 26 | 21 | <0.001† |
| Perceived risk from buying live poultry (somewhat agree/agree/strongly agree) | 42 | 31 | <0.001† |
| Live poultry exposure | |||
| Buying live poultry (yes) | 73 | 41 | 0.009‡ |
| Frequency of purchase (at least monthly or more frequently) | 50 | 15 | <0.001† |
| Purchase rate among buyers (chickens/household/y ) | 14.4 | 11.4 | |
| Frequency of touch among buyers (sometimes/usually/always) | 8 | 6 | 0.326§ |
| Averaged touch rate among buyers | 0.05 | 0.05 | |
| Averaged exposure among buyers (exposure/household/y) | 0.72 | 0.57 | 0.011† |
| Personal hygiene practices | |||
| Frequency of washing hands (at least hourly) | 49 | 44 | 0.023† |
| Covering mouth when sneezing or coughing (usually/always) | 91 | 85 | 0.003† |
| Washing hands after sneezing, coughing, or touching nose (usually/always) | 72 | 75 | 0.027† |
| Using liquid soap when washing hands (usually/always) | 63 | 74 | <0.001† |
| Using serving utensils when dining with others (usually/always) | 40 | 62 | <0.001† |
*Total population surveyed = 461. Values are % unless otherwise stated.
†Wilcoxon signed rank test.
‡McNemar test.
§χ2 test.
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Page updated: November 18, 2011
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