Why don't the British eat locally harvested shellfish? The role of misconceptions and knowledge gaps.

Although the UK consumes a substantial amount of shellfish, most is imported (e.g. prawns), while locally harvested molluscs and crustaceans (e.g. mussels, crab) tend to be exported. This study aimed to investigate whether a low rate of local shellfish consumption in the UK is due to misunderstandings or knowledge gaps about the potential health and environmental risks and benefits of consumption. Following the Mental Models Approach, the present paper reveals: 1) qualitative results from 26 stakeholder/public interviews which identified 10 key misunderstandings and knowledge gaps, including incorrect beliefs about health risks and a lack of knowledge about the relative environmental benefits compared to other foods (key misunderstandings included some parts of a crab are poisonous if eaten, and the majority of UK shellfish is farmed), and 2) quantitative results from a survey (n = 1,433) that explored the degree to which these misunderstandings and knowledge gaps may influence consumption intentions in the wider UK population. Survey results suggested the number of misunderstandings and knowledge gaps significantly predicted shellfish consumption intentions even after controlling for demographics, food related values, and past consumption behaviour. Path analyses revealed their impact on intentions was partially mediated via Theory of Planned Behaviour variables. Results could inform information campaigns supporting consumers to make more informed decisions regarding a group of foods that are potentially both healthy and relatively environmentally friendly.

Evaluating the Mental Models Approach to Developing a Risk Communication: A Scoping Review of the Evidence.

Risk communication is fundamental in ensuring people are equipped with the knowledge needed to navigate varied risks. One generally well-regarded framework for the development of such communications is the mental models approach to risk communication (MMARC). Developed during the 1990s, the MMARC has been applied to a range of health, technological, and environmental risks. However, as yet, we know of no attempt to collate and review articles that evaluated communications developed using the MMARC. This article took a first step at addressing this gap by conducting a scoping review that aimed to begin to explore the fidelity with which the approach has been applied, explore whether there appeared to be sufficient studies to warrant a future systematic review, and identify future research questions. Although the initial search found over 100 articles explicitly applying the MMARC, only 12 of these developed a risk-related communication that was tested against a control (and thus included in the current review). All studies reported a positive effect of the MMARC versus control communication for at least some of the outcome measures (knowledge being the most prevalent). However, there was wide variation between studies including type of control, outcomes assessed, and only five studies reported adopting a randomized design. The review highlights both the need for greater fidelity in the way future studies operationalize the MMARC approach, and suggests that a full-scale systematic review of the MMARC literature appears justified, especially given the possibility of a large gray literature in this area.