title: Community knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness for the 2009 influenza A/H1N1 pandemic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine public knowledge, perceptions, and preparedness for the 2009 influenza A/H1N1 pandemic.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a telephone survey of selected households in Arizona during the month of October 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 727 households interviewed, one-third (34%) were not aware that the terms swine flu and H1N1 refer to the same virus. Many believed that it is more difficult to contract 2009 H1N1 (27%) than seasonal influenza (14%). About three-quarters of respondents perceived the H1N1 situation as urgent (76%), but only about one-third of those surveyed believed a family member would get sick with H1N1 within a year (35%). Approximately half (53%) of those surveyed intended to get the H1N1 influenza vaccine. Family doctors, television news, and local public health officials were the most trusted sources for H1N1 information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey highlighted a number of important misconceptions about H1N1 knowledge, treatment options and transmissibility. Increased efforts should be made to understand how messages are transmitted and received in the community during a pandemic to improve risk communication plans moving forward.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Decision Theater, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85821-2402, USA. megan.jehn@asu.edu
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jehn
authors.forename: Yushim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Barrie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004189:Disaster Planning; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines