Risk perception for developing diabetes among pharmacists.
BACKGROUND
Emerging evidence implies that differences in risk perception between healthcare professionals and the lay public exist.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the actual risk status versus the personal risk perceptions for developing diabetes among pharmacists.


METHODS
Perceived risk was measured in this cross-sectional study with the validated Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD). The RPS-DD has 4 main subscales aimed at capturing multiple dimensions of perceived risk and is scored on the following scale: 1 (almost no risk), 2 (slight risk), 3 (moderate risk), and 4 (high risk). Actual risk was assigned according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Diabetes Risk Test. Differences between higher and lower ADA risk participants were analyzed. Regression analyses were conducted to examine risk factors associated with pharmacists' self-reported perception for developing diabetes.


RESULTS
Pharmacists (N = 218, 46.2 +/- 12.2 years [mean +/- SD], 47.7% male, 85.9% white) completed the survey. The Comparative Disease and Environmental Risk mean subscale scores were 1.98 +/- 0.43 and 1.86 +/- 0.41, indicating slight risk perceptions for the subscales, respectively. The single-item self-reported perceived risk for developing diabetes was 2.25 +/- 0.90, indicating a slight to moderate perceived risk for this disease. The Optimistic Bias score was 2.60 +/- 0.64, suggesting a trend toward more optimistic bias and a lower perceived risk for the development of diabetes. The Personal Control score was 3.38 +/- 0.47, illustrating that pharmacists endorsed personal control over the development of diabetes. Higher ADA risk participants reported less optimistic bias compared with lower risk respondents (p = 0.005). Comparative disease risk perception (correlation [r] = 0.38; p < 0.0001) and degree of optimistic bias (r = -0.49; p < 0.0001) emerged as the only predictors for diabetes related risk perception


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacists exhibited a slight to moderate risk perception for developing diabetes, reported a trend toward more optimistic bias, and demonstrated personal control over developing diabetes. Significant comparisons between higher and lower risk respondents were observed only with the optimistic bias subscale.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Nicole R
NR
Pinelli
Helen D
HD
Berlie
Richard L
RL
Slaughter
Linda A
LA
Jaber
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors