The structure of anxiety associated with avian influenza and pandemic influenza

This study examined the structure of anxiety associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza and pandemic influenza among lay people, using data from a survey of 1 016 adults in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Confirmative factor analyses demonstrated that anxieties associated with infection and its effects are comprised of three factors: health threats, concern about economics, and anxiety about unknown risks. Anxieties related to management of influenza consisted of factors of distrust of administrative organizations, distrust of grocery stores, industry, and farmers, distrust of medical services, and lack of self-confidence in coping. The means of these factors significantly differed for age groups. Respondents aged 60-81 years were more anxious about infection and its effects, while those aged 18-39 years were more concerned about how to cope with the flu than the other age groups. The importance of using different communications considering the types of anxieties of the target audience was discussed.