Bundles of risk perception and the commercial determinants of health

The commercial determinants of health (CDoH) represent corporate practices that systematically influence population health through the promotion of harmful commodities like tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods. This article examines how perceptions of health risks from these commodities form distinct bundles that shape individual risk judgements. Drawing on practice theory and data from a representative survey of N = 2,000 Polish adults, the study identifies four distinct patterns of risk perception across tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and air pollution. The analysis reveals how harmful commodities become embedded in social practices, creating systematic variations in risk perception. Women and older and high SES individuals showed higher risk awareness, while younger people and those in lower occupational classes demonstrated lower risk perception. Notably, alcohol-related risks emerged as a distinct category, often perceived independently from other health risks, reflecting their unique social and cultural embeddedness in Polish culture. The findings suggest that public health interventions should target integrated bundles of risk perceptions and practices rather than individual behaviours. This approach offers new insights into how commercial determinants of health systematically shape risk understandings across social strata, with important implications for addressing health inequalities and risk communication strategies.