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Formative research IND message testing with the general public
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March 2011
[PDF-1.13 MB]
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Alternative Title:Formative research improvised nuclear device message testing with the general public
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Description:Final Report-- March 2011 conducted by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for National Center for Environmental Health Radiation Studies Branch U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Background: In 2009-2010, the Nuclear Detonation Response Communications Working Group, a federal interagency group of communications and radiation technical experts, developed key messages for affected communities, as well as the rest of the nation, to be used during the immediate aftermath of an Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) detonation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was part of the interagency group that developed the key messages for communities affected by the detonation of an IND. To help ensure the quality of those messages, CDC, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) set out to test selected messages with the public.
Methods: In January 2011, fifteen 90-minute focus groups were conducted to explore the relevance, comprehensibility, credibility, and effectiveness of the selected messages. A total of 108 adults participated in the focus groups that were conducted in New York City, New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas; and Los Angeles, California. After the focus groups, ORISE staff analyzed the demographic data and examined participants’ transcribed responses using thematic procedures to identify emerging themes from the comments for each message and the overall project.
Conclusion: Communication after the IND event must address the public’s concerns regarding the radiation emergency in short, simple, and concise messages. In order to communicate with the public effectively during an IND emergency, the feedback from the focus groups combined with risk communication principles should be utilized to revise the current IND messages.
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Pages in Document:80 pages in various numbered pagings
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