Middle East respiratory syndrome risk perception among students at a university in South Korea, 2015

• Published in: American journal of infection control Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. e53 - e60
• Main Authors: Yang, Seongwoo, RN, MPH, Cho, Sung-Il, MD, ScD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.06.2017; Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Coronavirus Infections - psychology; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Infection Control; Infectious Disease; Major; Male; MERS; Overreaction; Perception; Republic of Korea; Risk Assessment; Risk communication; Risk perception; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trust; Universities; Young Adult; Infectious disease; Risk perception; Risk communication; MERS; Trust; Overreaction
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2017.02.013

Background The 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea was a serious threat to public health, and was exacerbated by the inappropriate responses of major institutions and the public. This study examined the sources of confusion during the MERS outbreak and identified the factors that can affect people's behavior. Methods An online survey of the risk perception of university students in South Korea was performed after the epidemic had peaked. The questionnaire addressed the major social determinants in South Korea during the MERS epidemic. The analysis included data from 1,470 subjects who provided complete answers. Results The students had 53.5% of the essential knowledge about MERS. Women showed higher risk perception than men, and trust in the media was positively associated with risk perception ( P  < .001). Additionally, risk perception was positively associated with overreaction by the public (odds ratio, 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 2.17-3.60; P  < .001). These findings suggest that media content affected the public's perception of MERS risk and that perception of a high level of risk led to overreaction. Conclusions Risk perception was associated with most of the social factors examined and overreaction by the public. Therefore, providing accurate information and data to the public, establishing trust, and facilitating the development of an attitude will all be important in future crises.