Attitudes of the population of the Northwest region towards radiation safety issues

• Published in: Radiatsionnaya Gygiena = Radiation Hygiene
• Main Authors: G. V. Arkhangelskaya, S. A. Zelentsova, A. M. Biblin, A. A. Davydov, Г. В. Архангельская, С. А. Зеленцова, А. М. Библин, А. А. Давыдов
• Other Authors: Финансирование работы осуществлялось по государственному контракту от 20 марта 2017 г. № Н.4д.241.20.17.1026 с Росатомом.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: NIIRG 2022
• Subjects: средства массовой информации; Northwestern region of the Russian Federation; radiation safety; risk perception; mass media; Северо-Западный регион; радиационная безопасность; восприятие риска; Murmansk; Arkhangelsk
• Online Access: https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/874; https://doi.org/10.21514/1998-426X-2022-15-2-78-86

The article presents the results of a sociological survey of the population of three regions of the Northwest region of the Russian Federation: the Leningrad, Murmansk, and Arkhangelsk regions. The survey was conducted in 2016-2018 and investigated the population’s knowledge about radiation and sources of knowledge in view of the further development of nuclear power, the construction of radioactive waste storage facilities, and the increasingly widespread use of ionizing radiation sources in medicine and industry. The aim of the study was to examine how the degree of trust in certain sources of information and preferred ways of obtaining information depends on the gender, age, and educational level of respondents. Generalization of such materials makes it possible to optimize means and ways of improving public knowledge on radiation safety issues so that the population could adequately (without panic) treat reports concerning the development of nuclear power, construction of radioactive waste storage facilities, and the increasing use of ionizing radiation sources in medicine and industry. The study revealed that, regardless of gender, age, and education, respondents in all three surveyed regions want to receive information about the radiation situation only in the event of an emergency. A high percentage of the population, especially in the Leningrad and Murmansk regions, unreasonably characterize the level of radioactive contamination of their places of residence as strong, dangerous, and extremely dangerous, which indicates a poor level of knowledge of radiation safety issues. Age and education have no practically significant influence on this assessment. The respondents consider TV and the Internet to be the most popular sources of information about the radiation situation. At the same time, it is logical that older people prefer to receive information through traditional mass media, while younger people prefer the Internet. Статья посвящена анализу результатов социологического опроса населения трех ...