'State agencies face many challenges in creating sport fish consumption advisories that can be readily understood by diverse populations. In this study, our objectives were to identify barriers to understanding consumption advisories and recommend more effective approaches for communicating advisory concepts,' scientists writing in the journal Risk Analysis report.
'We conducted key informant interviews with demographically diverse consumers of sport fish from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed in California to explore how intended audiences perceive consumption advisories and identify factors that influence comprehension. Some barriers to communication included the use of portion sizes that departed from commonly consumed amounts, poorly understood terminology, misleading category headings, and ineffective visual tools. Comprehension was enhanced when advisory information did not contradict existing beliefs about fish or fish consumption, and when advisories provided information about contaminant levels in specific kinds of fish,' wrote M.L. Tan and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: 'Using certain methods, such as portion sizes that reflect commonly consumed amounts, mercury meters to convey contaminant levels, three advice categories (e. g., high, medium, low), and population definitions that identify specific age ranges, improved the clarity of advisory concepts for intended audiences.'
Tan and colleagues published their study in Risk Analysis (Communicating Fish Consumption Advisories in California: What Works, What Doesn't. Risk Analysis, 2011;31(7):1095-1106).
Additional information can be obtained by contacting A. Ujihara, California Dept. of Public Health, Environmental Health Invest Branch, Richmond, CA 94804, United States.
The publisher of the journal Risk Analysis can be contacted at: Wiley-Blackwell, Commerce Place, 350 Main St., Malden 02148, MA, USA.
Keywords: City:Richmond, State:California, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, Risk Management
This article was prepared by Insurance Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Insurance Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
