Recent surveys of drinking water beliefs and practices have demonstrated general faith in the safety of the nation's water supply. As the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 mandate special protection for subgroups within the population who may be at increased risk of waterborne illness, specific knowledge of the beliefs and practices of these groups is needed to ensure effective regulation and communication.
Methods: A telephone survey of 1684 adults in Washington D.C. and four surrounding counties sought information on drinking water beliefs and practices. The results of this survey were analyzed for specific subgroups, including the two subgroups of elderly (65-74 and 75+), families with children, and families with low income and low educational status. In addition, twelve focus groups gave more detailed qualitative information on beliefs and practices of populations potentially at-risk for waterborne illness, including people with HIV/AIDS, people undergoing treatment for cancer, renal failure, and Crohn's Disease, people over age 65, pregnant women and women with young children.
Results: There was considerable heterogeneity in beliefs and practices, both between groups and within groups. Many potentially at-risk people were aware of risks from consuming tap water, but most expressed barriers to taking precautions, especially outside of the home. Certain potentially at-risk people expressed a similar faith in the safety of the water supply as the general public.
Conclusions: With several exceptions (e.g., women with HIV/AIDS), at-risk groups are not necessarily more likely to take precautions with drinking water than the general public.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to 1) Describe beliefs and practices about drinking water for selected subpopulations believed to be at increased risk due to waterborne exposures. 2) Discuss the implications of those beliefs and practices for protecting potentially susceptible subpopulations from waterborne exposures
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.