title: Attitudes of rural population in emergency exposure situations.
abstract: People growing crops in kitchen gardens eat locally self-produced food and are the subject of growing attention as the potential for a more sustainable development. A survey was carried out in two provinces in northern Italy to gather information on the consumption of local horticultural products, peoples' expectations of authorities in the case of a nuclear accident and peoples' behaviour in the absence of official information. Results show that up to 70% of the owners of kitchen gardens possess diets comprised of more than 60% of self-produced vegetables and can be regarded as particular groups of population. In the case of a dispersion of radioactive material, the local population would take advantage of official information on preventive measures to protect farms and local crops from contamination. Results of the survey show differences in the attitude of the population due to age, gender and past experience.
authors.affiliation: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Via Emilia Parmense 84, I-29122 Piacenza, Italy. franca.carini@unicatt.it
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pellizzoni
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release / Q000523:psychology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust