The Relationship among Media Use, Political Trust, and Risk Perception during the U.S. Beef Imports Crisis in Taiwan

Abstract

Our world has confronted public health challenges ranging from tobacco to alcohol, from mad cow disease to swine flu. Making the world safer and healthier requires both learning more about what health communications problems we are facing and translating that knowledge into action. Among the wide-ranging areas within health communication, this special issue asks what health communication problems or issues are most important in Greater China. As we all agree, a key challenge facing researchers is in exploring the power of communication to empower individuals to adopt healthy behaviors, as well as to direct policy makers` attention to important health issues. To address this challenge, this special issue explores each health topic in the field of communication and public health at the interpersonal, group, organizational, and societal levels. By preparing future health leaders and health consumers to utilize effective communication strategies and by strengthening communication between health care providers and patients, we can better public health.

本研究探討以美國牛肉進口台灣作為風險議題，台灣民眾的媒介使用與狂牛症相關之風險知識、感知、態度與行為改變的關係。本研究於2010年1月完成的1,079位台灣民眾電話調查當中發現，政治信任可以顯著預測擔心程度、風險態度與行為改變。政治信任度越低，越容易擔心風險無法避免，也認為須要少吃牛肉。民眾最常得到有關美國牛肉議題的資訊管道為電視新聞。電視新聞使用時間與風險知識有正向關係，但看電視新聞時間越長越會覺得擔心。而對報紙新聞的注意程度有助於知識增加，也會產生消費行為改變。本文最後討論為何電視與報紙新聞會在風險的認知、態度與行為上產生效果上的差異。