Science Communication & Media
Finding Meaning Behind the Numbers: The Importance of Risk Communication in Epidemiology Hannah Mazzotta* Hannah Mazzotta Tony Cappello Alex Liz Best
Historically, scientific communication of epidemiological findings to the general population in a public health context have often been misunderstood and/or blighted by inaccurate information or interpretation. Compliance with public health recommendations and trust in epidemiologists is highly dependent on the scientific community’s ability to effectively communicate complex scientific information on exposure and disease risk in a candid and consistent manner. Mistrust and resistance to public health recommendations can often be seen in response to controversial and emerging topics that have been misconstrued in the media, such as the relationship between vaccines and autism, misinformation related to COVID-19, and cell phone use and brain cancer development, among others. While epidemiological research aims to understand the strength of association in health outcomes, conveying the overall meaning and applicability of research results to stakeholders, and ultimately the general public is equally as important. In this presentation, various examples from real epidemiologic consulting work will be presented in order to demonstrate how evidence-based research can be used to communicate the state of knowledge on evolving or emerging epidemiological topics in public health to industry, government, and non-profit stakeholders alike. Examples will include the use of epidemiological principles such as using local data sources or translating national or regional data to local contexts, translating relative risks observed in occupational epidemiological studies to excess absolute risk among the general public, and using a weight of evidence approach to risk assessment. By actively communicating the meaning and relevance of research findings to those outside of the scientific community in a straightforward and evidence-based manner, epidemiologists can help prevent unnecessary fear-mongering and the spread of public health misinformation.