Annoyance and health symptoms and their influencing factors: A population-based air pollution intervention study

A score for measuring health risk perception in environmental surveys

“…Statistical adjustment for some of these factors may, either completely or in part, remove confounding. Nonetheless, both the presence of confounding and the associations between risk perception and population's characteristics seem to depend strongly on the specific area, time period and outcomes investigated (Claeson et al, 2013;Dalton, 1999;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Moffatt et al, 2000;Stenlund et al, 2009). Thus, the presence and extent of confounding/mediation effects should be evaluated empirically, by comparing estimates of association between exposure and outcome when adjusting and not adjusting for risk perception indicators.…”

“…People who live in contaminated areas may be worried about pollution (Burger, 2005;Moffatt et al, 2000;Stenlund et al, 2009;Interdonato et al, 2014). On the other hand, it is also possible that people who live close to pollutant sources underestimate health risks (Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Weber et al, 2001).…”

The role of perceived air pollution and health risk perception in health symptoms and disease: a population-based study combined with modelled levels of PM10

“…Health risk perception involves the individual’s beliefs, attitudes, judgments and feelings. Beliefs about a certain chemical/physical exposure being hazardous (irrespective of actually being hazardous or not), and the worry and stress this evokes, has been shown to contribute to health symptoms (Stenlund et al 2009; Claeson et al 2013). This is likely to be explained by mechanisms such as stress-induced inflammation and expectations.…”

“…According to the model, air pollution leads to perceived pollution, symptoms and disease, perceived pollution leads to health risk perception and symptoms, and health risk perception leads to symptoms and disease. In earlier studies investigating complaints from air pollution (Stenlund et al 2009; Claeson et al 2013), an initial model was tested, which included interrelations between air pollution, perceived pollution, health risk perception, annoyance and health symptoms. In Stenlund et al (2009), annoyance, but not health symptoms, was found to be directly evoked by air pollution (dust and soot), whereas the relation between air pollution and symptoms was mediated by perceived pollution and health risk perception.…”

“…In earlier studies investigating complaints from air pollution (Stenlund et al 2009; Claeson et al 2013), an initial model was tested, which included interrelations between air pollution, perceived pollution, health risk perception, annoyance and health symptoms. In Stenlund et al (2009), annoyance, but not health symptoms, was found to be directly evoked by air pollution (dust and soot), whereas the relation between air pollution and symptoms was mediated by perceived pollution and health risk perception. Another difference between the Stenlund and the present study is that the air pollution levels in the former study were typically high enough to cause explicit concern among residents in that community, which was not the case in the present study.…”