Kathleen J. Weldon

Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Results from a national survey indicated that most persons would follow public health officials’ guidelines.

Using Opinion Surveys to Track the Public's Response to a Bioterrorist Attack

To communicate effectively with the public during an emergency, health officials need to find out in real time what Americans know and believe, whom they trust, and what actions they are taking in response to the crisis. Short-duration surveys can provide vital information to guide public officials in their response to events and their communication efforts. Prior research has shown that such surveys, when statistically re-weighted, can offer timely results without unacceptable risk of bias. Using examples from public opinion surveys during the anthrax attacks of 2001, this article examines the role such surveys can play during a public health crisis.

The Impact of Experience with a Family Member with Alzheimer’s Disease on Views about the Disease across Five Countries

The objective of this paper is to understand how the publics beliefs in five countries may change as more families have direct experience with Alzheimers disease. The data are derived from a questionnaire survey conducted by telephone (landline and cell) with 2678 randomly selected adults in France, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United States. The paper analyzes the beliefs and anticipated behavior of those in each country who report having had a family member with Alzheimers disease versus those who do not. In one or more countries, differences were found between the two groups in their concern about getting Alzheimers disease, knowledge that the disease is fatal, awareness of certain symptoms, and support for increased public spending. The results suggest that as more people have experience with a family member who has Alzheimers disease, the public will generally become more concerned about Alzheimers disease and more likely to recognize that Alzheimers disease is a fatal disease. The findings suggest that other beliefs may only be affected if there are future major educational campaigns about the disease. The publics in individual countries, with differing cultures and health systems, are likely to respond in different ways as more families have experience with Alzheimers disease.

Public trust in the Spanish health-care system

Background  Fifteen years ago, public opinion surveys in Spain showed substantial dissatisfaction with the health‐care system. Since that time, health‐care in Spain has undergone significant changes, including a decentralization of the system, an increase in spending and a change in the way the system is financed.

The Perspectives of Six Latino Heritage Groups About Their Health Care

The Latino population in the US is projected to grow substantially in the years ahead. Although often referred to as a single group, Latinos are not homogeneous. This article, based mainly on a national telephone survey of 1,478 Latino adults, examines the perspectives of six Latino heritage groups on the health care issues they face. The six groups differ in their reported health care experiences in: the types facilities they use in getting medical care, their ratings of the quality of care they receive, their experiences with discrimination in getting quality care, the level of confidence they have in being able to pay for a major illness. One thing the heritage groups agree on is that diabetes is the biggest health problem facing their families. Community health leaders, particularly at the state level, need to focus on the specific Latino groups in their state or area and their unique situations.

The Economic Lives of Latinos in the United States

Rarely do we have a picture of who Latinos are and how they live in the United States. Yet by 2060 the proportion of the U.S. population that is Latino will double, to more than 30 percent. These researchers conducted a survey of a diverse group of Latinos to find out how they live and what their fears and aspirations are.

In Economic Policy, How Much Does It Matter Which Party Governs?

Surveys suggest that political division is wide in the United States. The authors analyze how much disagreement there is over key issues. They also suggest that if one party or the other gains control of both the presidency and Congress, major and significantly contrasting changes could be made in the nation.