Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Local public health workers' perceptions toward responding to an influenza pandemic
Ran D. Balicer , Saad B. Omer , Daniel J. Barnett and George S. Everly Jr.
BMC Public Health 2006, 6:99 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-99
<table class="smalltext" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>Published</td> <td width="25"></td> <td>18 April 2006</td></tr></tbody></table>Ran D. Balicer , Saad B. Omer , Daniel J. Barnett and George S. Everly Jr.
BMC Public Health 2006, 6:99 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-6-99
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/6/99/abstract
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Current national preparedness plans require local health departments to play an integral role in responding to an influenza pandemic, a major public health threat that the World Health Organization has described as "inevitable and possibly imminent". To understand local public health workers' perceptions toward pandemic influenza response, we surveyed 308 employees at three health departments in Maryland from March - July 2005, on factors that may influence their ability and willingness to report to duty in such an event.
Results
The data suggest that nearly half of the local health department workers are likely not to report to duty during a pandemic. The stated likelihood of reporting to duty was significantly greater for clinical (Multivariate OR: 2.5; CI 1.3-4.7) than technical and support staff, and perception of the importance of one's role in the agency's overall response was the single most influential factor associated with willingness to report (Multivariate OR: 9.5; CI 4.6-19.9).
Conclusions
The perceived risk among public health workers was shown to be associated with several factors peripheral to the actual hazard of this event. These risk perception modifiers and the knowledge gaps identified serve as barriers to pandemic influenza response and must be specifically addressed to enable effective local public health response to this significant threat.
Background
Current national preparedness plans require local health departments to play an integral role in responding to an influenza pandemic, a major public health threat that the World Health Organization has described as "inevitable and possibly imminent". To understand local public health workers' perceptions toward pandemic influenza response, we surveyed 308 employees at three health departments in Maryland from March - July 2005, on factors that may influence their ability and willingness to report to duty in such an event.
Results
The data suggest that nearly half of the local health department workers are likely not to report to duty during a pandemic. The stated likelihood of reporting to duty was significantly greater for clinical (Multivariate OR: 2.5; CI 1.3-4.7) than technical and support staff, and perception of the importance of one's role in the agency's overall response was the single most influential factor associated with willingness to report (Multivariate OR: 9.5; CI 4.6-19.9).
Conclusions
The perceived risk among public health workers was shown to be associated with several factors peripheral to the actual hazard of this event. These risk perception modifiers and the knowledge gaps identified serve as barriers to pandemic influenza response and must be specifically addressed to enable effective local public health response to this significant threat.