Compliance with recommendations for pandemic influenza H1N1 2009: the role of trust and personal beliefs

Background. To investigate the relationship between risk perception, worry, control, trust, exposure to an educational campaign, media exaggeration with recommendations for pandemic influenza H1N1 2009. Methods. Cross sectional telephone survey using random digit dialing. A total of 1010 adult Italians were interviewed by telephone between 16 and 19 February 2010. The survey instrument included demographic data, measures on risk perception, worry, trust and compliance with recommendations for pandemic influenza H1N1 2009. Results. Controlling for socio-demographic variables, compliance with all the recommended behaviors was associated with media trust, trust in the Ministry of Health, worry and perceived severity of illness. Perceptions that the risk of catching pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 is high, that the authorities are acting in the public’s best interest in dealing with it, that the media had exaggerated the risks of catching it and that people can control their risk of catching it were associated with compliance with some recommended behaviors even after considering effects of socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusion. The results underscore the importance of building public trust and to consider the influence of risk perception and affective response in promoting compliance with recommended behaviors.