Understanding risk perceptions and responses of the public, healthcare professionals and the media - the case of Clostridium difficile - Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Sep 11, 2026

How risk is understood, interpreted, and acted upon by different public and professional groups remains contested, especially for specific health threats. This study investigates risk perceptions and responses within the context of Clostridium difficile, examining the influence of media on health-risk reporting. A media coverage analysis, eight public focus groups, seven healthcare professional focus groups, and interviews with media professionals show how infection risk is constructed and communicated. Findings generate a conceptual framework and identify factors relevant to risk management and communication.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatPDF

Pages463

Reading Time2 h 42 min

AccessFree to download

A Brief Summary

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Chapter One: Introduction

Setting the scene

Clostridium difficile

Risk

Risk perception

Risk and the media

Summary

Chapter Two: Reviewing the risk perception literature

Introduction

Part one: Approaches to studying risk perceptions and responses

Psychometric paradigm

Cultural Theory

University of Dundee DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Understanding risk perceptions and responses of the public, healthcare professionalsand the media the case of Clostridium difficile Burnett, Emma Jane Award date: 2015 Awarding institution: University of Dundee Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 11. Sept. 2026 Understanding risk perceptions and responses of the public, healthcare professionals and the media: the case of Clostridium difficile Emma Jane Burnett Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Dundee School of Nursing & Health Sciences January 2015 “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist” Friedrich Nietzsche “If you have lived with the fear of failure all your life, you tend to erect a window of risk aversion. In every opportunity, you first seethe risks, the downsides, the possibility of failure. Someone else may look at the same image through the window of optimism and see a huge, overpowering silver lining.” Prakah Iyer “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” Stephen R Covey To Chris, Alana and Jack in thanks for the faith they had in me todo this and for all the support and encouragement they gave me while doing it A Brief Summary How risk is understood, made sense of, and responded to , by different public and professional groups is poorly understood and open to debate. To some degree, this is dependent upon the theoretical perspective from which risk perceptions are studied. While current theory is useful in providing broad insight into risk perceptions and responses to risk, a more comprehensive situated understanding is needed in relation to specific health-related risks. Healthcare associated infections are a global threat to public health and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) in particular, is one of the most common healthcare associated infections , causing significant harm, widespread public concern and considerable media interest. The purpose of this study was to explore risk perceptions and responses of the public and healthcare professionals within the context of C.difficile, and to examine the role of the media in health-risk reporting as such reporting is an important backdrop to public and professional understanding and knowledge. The study employed a media coverage analysis of a major C.difficile outbreak, used eight public focus groups (a total of 39 participants) and seven healthcare professional focus groups (a total 29 participants), and employed ten semistructured interviews with media professionals. The analysis demonstrated how C.difficile was constructed and communicated to the public and confirmed that media accounts were frequently used by the public and healthcare professionals to make sense of infection risk. What emerged from the focus groups was a conceptual framework that provides a generic account of the way in which people construct and communicate risk. This was then fleshed out in the detailed context of C.difficile. In seeking further exploration of

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study on Clostridium difficile?

To explore how the public and healthcare professionals perceive and respond to C. difficile, and to examine the role of the media in health-risk reporting that shapes understanding and knowledge.

What research methods were used in the thesis?

The study used media coverage analysis of a major outbreak, eight public focus groups (39 participants), seven healthcare professional focus groups (29 participants), and ten semi-structured interviews with media professionals.

How did the study characterize the media’s impact on infection risk understanding?

It showed that C. difficile is constructed and communicated to the public in particular ways, and that media accounts are frequently used by both the public and healthcare professionals to make sense of infection risk.

Sep 11, 2026

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