Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

What Australians Know And Believe About Bird Flu: Results Of A Population Telephone Survey, Sandra Jones, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

The avian influenza A (A/H5N1) virus has attracted the attention of governments and health organizations throughout the world because of its pandemic potential. Despite the emerging nature of A/H5N1, there is limited research on public knowledge and perceptions of this disease. This study is based on a computer-assisted telephone interviewing survey conducted in May 2006 to determine the Australian publics knowledge of A/H5N1, their willingness to engage in preventive behaviors, and their acceptance of potential messages for communication campaigns. Awareness and concern about bird flu is low (lower than a recent survey of U.S. residents). There appears to be widespread …