Bioterrorism is a significant threat to the health of every community in the United States and many places around the world. One of the pivotal issues when preparing for an emergency in a community is to learn how people perceive danger (bioterrorism in this case) and how they react to protective instruction in the event of a real life situation.
The other important element of such a study was the possibility of a broad range of differences in various communities. Ventura County has a highly diverse population based on the three aforementioned perspectives. The aim of this study is to seek answers for the following areas of questions:
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Perception of the most likely type of bioterrorist attack in our community.
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Perception of the origin of the likely culprits of a possible terrorist act.
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Level of emotional and mental engagement about issues of bioterrorism in recent past.
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Knowledge of preventive measures available and urgency of using them to protect ourselves and our families.
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Knowledge about transmission of disease from the infected to others.
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Level of trust in the validity of information we receive from official sources.
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Likelihood of following instructions provided and impediments in compliance.
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Preferences of sources (people and organizations) from whom/which one would like to receive information.
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Pattern of behavior in inquiring about the problem and receiving help during an emergency.
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Perceived impediments in getting help during an emergency.
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Interests in learning more about bioterrorism from different source
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