Risk assessment and risk communication in environmental health in Poland

• Published in: European journal of public health Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 742 - 744
• Main Authors: Marchwińska-Wyrwał, Ewa, Teaf, Christopher M, Dziubanek, Grzegorz, Hajok, Ilona
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford Publishing Limited (England) 01-10-2012
• Subjects: Communication; Cost; Diseases; Environmental Exposure - prevention & control; Environmental Health; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health risk assessment; Health Surveys; Humans; Interpersonal communication; Male; Medical service; Physicians; Poland; Public Health; Risk; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Poland
• ISSN: 1101-1262; 1464-360X
• DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckr109

Efficient prevention activities can reduce disease, caused by environmental factors as well as costs to the health-care system, but it is impossible without understanding by the society of when, where, how and why exposures occur. Physicians and other health-care professionals may have an important role to play in communication of these potential dangers as the public requires information from knowledgeable and trusted sources about environmental risks and methods to avoid them. Epidemiological study in Poland shows that the health risk awareness in the society is not satisfactory and improvement of communication processes is essential to reduce individual risk factors.