Community involvement and risk perception at personal and societal levels

Some risk perception studies suggest that personal and societal level risk judgements are distinct and largely separate, and people do not necessarily draw personal implications from their general views about society. This study explores the role of community involvement in people's risk judgements at personal and societal levels. Using risk judgements about four health issues-water contaminants, radon, AIDS and heart disease-we examined if community involvement decreases the discrepancy between personal and societal level risk perceptions. The data were collected through a mail survey of a random sample of 750 upstate New York residents. Across the four issues people tend to have significantly more concern at the societal level than at the personal level. Multiple regression analysis shows that community involvement decreases the difference people have between the personal and societal level risk judgements and that it has a direct impact on people's personal level of concern about AIDS. Compared with men, women tend to have higher levels of societal concern across all four health issues. Interpersonal communication primarily influences personal judgements. These findings have important implications for health education campaigns and deserve more attention from researchers.