title: [Investigation on the perception of risk level of heat wave and its related factors in Guangdong province].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the risk perception of heat wave, and further explore its related factors in Guangdong province.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2183 adults were selected by a multi-stage sampling method in Guangdong province. Each subject was interviewed in their home with a structured questionnaire by a well trained investigator from September to November, 2010. The questionnaire contained socio-demographic characteristics, heat wave related knowledge, risk perception of heat wave, etc. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were employed in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of total 2183 participants was (39.31 ± 14.16) years, among which 53.37% (1165/2183) were males, and 48.74% (1064/2183) were selected from urban. About 38.11% (832/2183) of participants heard about heat wave, and 38.52% (841/2183) of subjects thought the heat wave had higher impact on their health (risk perception score of heat wave ≥ 5 points). About 81.91% (1788/2183) of all participants thought the weather in most recent years was hotter than several years ago. Among these people, 30.48% (545/1788) thought the main reason of weather becoming hotter was due to emission of carbon dioxide, and 26.51% (474/1788) thought it was due to air pollution. Results from the multivariate logistic regression showed that the risk perception score of heat wave were higher in subjects with higher education (OR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.41 - 3.30), from urban(OR = 1.37, 95%CI: 1.10 - 1.72), with higher score of trust(OR = 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.14) and participants with higher score of heat wave related knowledge (OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.27 - 1.52). Furthermore, compared to hierarchist, egalitarian (OR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.30 - 2.29), individualist (OR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.41 - 2.65) and fatalist (OR = 1.80, 95%CI: 1.41 - 2.29) also had higher risk perception score of heat wave.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a lack of knowledge and risk perception to heat wave among the residents in Guangdong province. Risk perception of heat wave was higher in people who were from urban, had higher level of trust on government, experts and media, had higher health-related knowledge score, and non-hierarchists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control, Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Yan-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiu-ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Qing-hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hui-yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Shao-en
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wen-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014887:Weather; D055815:Young Adult