Exploring public risk perception of multiple hazards through network analysis
Humans face various hazards, making it challenging to apply a precautionary approach to all of them. Instead, individuals prioritize risk reduction based on perceived threats and lived experiences, often considering multiple hazards simultaneously. This study explores how public perceptions of multiple hazards are interconnected and change over time in Italy and Sweden, using data from three representative surveys (<i>n</i> = 12,476) conducted in August 2020, November 2020, and August 2021. We assess risk perception across three dimensions (likelihood, impact, and authority knowledge) for nine hazards, including epidemics, climate change, and natural disasters. Findings reveal that recently encountered hazards, such as COVID-19, become more closely connected to other hazards. At the same time, connections among hazards such as wildfires, droughts, and floods remain stable over time. These results indicate a dual component of public risk perception of multiple hazards, offering valuable insights for shaping public health policies and climate adaptation strategies.
Authors
- Maurizio Mazzoleni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0913-9370)
- Elena Raffetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8742-3986)
- Marcus R. Munafò (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4049-993X)
- Owen Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4510-0577)
- Federico Triolo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8732-0036)
- Giuliano Di Baldassarre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8180-4996)
- Jasmine Khouja (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7944-2981)
- Sarah Dryhurst (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-8492)
- Blanca Paniello-Castillo
Institutions
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Stockholm University (SE)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- British Heart Foundation (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Systemic Risk Centre (GB)
- MRC Epidemiology Unit (GB)
- Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (SE)
- University College London (GB)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports Sustainability
- Published
- 2025-06-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100424
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.24
Funders
- Wellcome
- National Institute on Handicapped Research
- Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate
- Scottish Government
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- British Heart Foundation
- Department of Health and Social Care
- University of Bristol
- Public Health Agency
- Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd
- Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate
- Centrum för naturkatastrofslära, Uppsala Universitet
- Medical Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
- European Research Council
- Health and Social Care Research and Development Division
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre
- H2020 European Research Council