Trust in Scientific Experts on Obesity: Implications for Awareness and Behavior Change

Bleich, Sara N.; Blendon, Robert J.; Adams, Angela

doi:10.1038/oby.2007.255

Cited by 44 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Although scientific communicators may stress persuasion, deliberation would be better (39). Communicating uncertainty is essential to building credibility (40,41), and trust best predicts attention to scientific experts (42).…”

Section: Climate Scientists' Presumed Agendasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaining trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics

Fiske

Dupree

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

365

291

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Expertise is a prerequisite for communicator credibility, entailing the knowledge and ability to be accurate. Trust also is essential to communicator credibility. Audiences view trustworthiness as the motivation to be truthful. Identifying whom to trust follows systematic principles. People decide quickly another’s apparent intent: Who is friend or foe, on their side or not, or a cooperator or competitor. Those seemingly on their side are deemed warm (friendly, trustworthy). People then decide whether the other is competent to enact those intents. Perception of scientists, like other social perceptions, involves inferring both their apparent intent (warmth) and capability (competence). To illustrate, we polled adults online about typical American jobs, rated as American society views them, on warmth and competence dimensions, as well as relevant emotions. Ambivalently perceived high-competence but low-warmth, “envied” professions included lawyers, chief executive officers, engineers, accountants, scientists, and researchers. Being seen as competent but cold might not seem problematic until one recalls that communicator credibility requires not just status and expertise but also trustworthiness (warmth). Other research indicates the risk from being enviable. Turning to a case study of scientific communication, another online sample of adults described public attitudes toward climate scientists specifically. Although distrust is low, the apparent motive to gain research money is distrusted. The literature on climate science communicators agrees that the public trusts impartiality, not persuasive agendas. Overall, communicator credibility needs to address both expertise and trustworthiness. Scientists have earned audiences’ respect, but not necessarily their trust. Discussing, teaching, and sharing information can earn trust to show scientists’ trustworthy intentions.

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Section: Climate Scientists' Presumed Agendasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaining trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics

Fiske

Dupree

2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

365

291

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…96 For example, data suggest that Latinos with low educational attainment are more likely to distrust scientific experts on obesity. 97 Trust and credibility are critical when delivering information on health risks, especially on controversial and sensitive topics such as childhood overweight and obesity. 19 Science is an evolving process and at times seems contradictory.…”

Section: S54mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Culture in the Context of School-Based BMI Screening

Fitzgibbon

Beech

2009

Pediatrics

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The high prevalence of overweight and obesity is a significant public health concern in the United States. Minority populations are disproportionately affected, and the impact of obesity on minority children is especially alarming. In this article we discuss school-based BMI reporting, which is intended to increase parental awareness of their children's weight status. This information could potentially lead parents of overweight and obese children to carefully examine and possibly change their children's diet and activity patterns. However, any program related to child weight status must consider culturally defined aspects of body size and shape. In other words, the cultural context in which information on child BMI is presented to and received by parents must be considered. In this article we review parental perceptions of child weight. Multiple studies have shown that parents of overweight or obese children often fail to correctly perceive their children as overweight. Possible reasons for, and implications of, this misperception of child weight status among minority parents are then explored within a cultural framework. The PEN-3 model is used to examine influences on health behaviors and could help inform the development of a culturally sensitive BMI-notification program for minority parents. Reporting materials congruent with the social and cultural values and practices of the target audience are likely to maximize program effectiveness. A culturally based BMI-notification program should be conceptualized as a small step in a comprehensive plan to reduce childhood obesity and improve the current and future health of minority children. Pediatrics 2009;124:S50-S62

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“…The lack of trust in government has also been reported (17) . Previous findings have also reported women and those with higher education levels have more trust in scientific experts (12) . While neither of these continuous variables was related to trust of food per se, it is interesting that those who do not eat enough vegetables have a significantly higher level of trust of the broad community spectrum of society (from family to the medical system to broad levels of government) indicating, perhaps, a willingness to accept these bodies as authoritarian.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Another prerequisite for trust is that the health promotion message/campaign is correct and from reputable organisations (15) . A level of trust in the credibility of the message and in the organisation promoting the message is required before individuals contemplate changing their behaviour appropriately (12,16,17) ; as Hansen et al (18) suggested, if people do not 'trust the messenger, they will not trust the message' (p. 15). Studies from Europe suggest that trust in the media, farmers, politicians and the food industry has diminished in the face of well-publicised food scares, with consumers more likely to trust information about healthy eating received from medical practitioners and consumer groups than information received through the media (19,20) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fruit and vegetable consumption – the influence of aspects associated with trust in food and safety and quality of food

Taylor

Coveney

Ward

et al. 2011

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To profile adults who eat less than the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Design: Australia-wide population telephone survey on a random sample of the Australian population, with results analysed by univariate and multivariate models. Setting: Australia. Subjects: One thousand one hundred and eight interviews, respondents' (49?3 % males) mean age was 45?12 (SD 17?63) years. Results: Overall 54?8 % and 10?7 % were eating the recommended number of servings of fruit and vegetables. Variables included in the multivariate model indicating low fruit consumption included gender, age, employment, education and those who were less likely to consider the safety and quality of food as important. In regard to low vegetable consumption, people who were more likely to do the food shopping only 'some of the time' and have a high level of trust in groups of people such as immediate family, neighbours, doctors and different levels of government were included in the final model. They were also less likely to neither consider the safety and quality of food as important nor trust organisations/institutions such as the press, television and politicians. In the final model depicting both low fruit and low vegetable servings, sex, age and a low level of importance with regard to safety and quality of food were included. Conclusion: To increase fruit and vegetable consumption, research into a broad range of determinants associated with behaviours should be coupled with a deeper understanding of the process associated with changing behaviours. While levels of trust are related to behaviour change, knowledge and attitudes about aspects associated with safety and quality of food are also of importance.

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Trust in Scientific Experts on Obesity: Implications for Awareness and Behavior Change

Cited by 44 publications

References 51 publications

Gaining trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics

Gaining trust as well as respect in communicating to motivated audiences about science topics

The Role of Culture in the Context of School-Based BMI Screening

Fruit and vegetable consumption – the influence of aspects associated with trust in food and safety and quality of food

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