Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of subjectively perceived decline in five cognitive domains: Results from a population-based cohort study in Germany.

OBJECTIVE: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) was frequently investigated for memory in healthy aging or in relation to diseases like dementia. It was found to be related to sociodemographic and psychological variables as well as cognitive abilities. The prevalence of SCD in other cognitive domains and their relation to these variables is largely unknown to date. The present study aimed to fill this gap. METHODS: A total of 807 subjects (18-85 years of age, M = 57.8 years, female: 43%) completed the Juelich Questionnaire on Subjective Cognitive Decline, to investigate SCD in memory, attention, language, motor, and executive functions. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate association of depressive symptomatology, emotionality, and general cognitive performance as well as age, gender, and educational attainment with domain-specific SCD. RESULTS: The highest prevalence rate was obtained for the memory domain (65.9%), followed by the attention (54.6%), motor (52.9%), executive (39.7%), and language domain (31.5%). Of the psychosocial factors, only age, depressive symptomatology and emotionality were consistently and strongly associated with domain-specific SCD prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: SCD is prevalent not only in the memory domain, but also in other major cognitive domains. Our results also suggest that the suspicion from previous research, that subjective memory decline might be more strongly associated with depressive symptomatology and emotionality than with actual decline of cognitive performance, might also apply to the attention, motor, executive, and language domain. Further investigations using neuropsychological testing for specific cognitive functions and employing longitudinal designs are required for substantiating this suspicion.

Evidence maps: communicating risk assessments in societal controversies: the case of engineered nanoparticles.

The transparent and fair characterization of scientific evidence for reporting the results of a hazard assessment is a demanding task. In this article, we present an approach for characterizing evidence--the evidence map approach. The theoretical starting point is to view evidence characterization as a form of argumentation. Thus, evidence maps are designed to depict the evidence base, the pro and con arguments, and the remaining uncertainties, which together lead experts to their conclusions when summarizing and evaluating the scientific evidence about a potential hazard. To illustrate its use, the evidence maps approach is applied to characterizing the health-relevant effects of engineered nanoparticles. Empirical data from an online survey suggests that the use of evidence maps improves the reporting of hazard assessments. Nonexperts prefer to receive the information included in an evidence map in order to come to an informed judgment. Furthermore, the benefits and limitations of evidence maps are discussed in the light of recent literature on risk communication. Finally, the article underlines the need for further research in order to increase quality of evidence reporting.

Children's health and RF EMF exposure. Views from a risk assessment and risk communication perspective.

A review of the scientific literature published until August 2010, covering epidemiological studies on the effects of RF EMF exposure on the incidence of brain tumours and leukaemia in children as well as experimental studies on RF EMF effects on cognition and CNS in children, reveals no or only scant evidence for the assumption that RF EMF exposure poses a hazard to children. This result is at odds with public risk perceptions, i.e. prevailing concerns of (at least part of) the public about adverse health effect of RF EMF. Consequences for risk communication are discussed. A scientifically sound and easy-to-understand risk communication is especially exacerbated by the fact that current risk assessments cannot exclude that RF EMF might have adverse health effects due remaining knowledge gaps, but especially due to the impossibility to prove a non-effect.

The influence of the UV-index on attitudes toward sun exposure in the German population.

The increased skin cancer incidences are important public health problems. In spite of the strong promotion of the UV-index as essential UV risk education tool, only few studies have investigated peoples understanding of the UV-index. This paper is the first to present representative data on UV-index understanding in Germany. In 2007, a representative telephone survey was carried out among 1,501 German residents aged 14 years and older. Only 27% of the respondents had heard of the UV-index before and 17% of the German respondents claimed to consider the index for their sun habits. Less than 10% of the German population was able to attribute the correct meaning to the UV-index as well as know their own skin type. The results of the present study suggest that informing the public about the UV-index has very limited impact on the public's understanding of the UV-index as well as on their attitude toward sun exposure. The results warrant the question whether the UV-index in the present form is a useful education tool in UV risk communication.

A population-based survey on tanning bed use in Germany.

BACKGROUND: The suntanning industry has grown up over the last decade in Europe, mainly because tanned skin is considered socially desirable and attractive. Because of the potential negative impact of artificial tanning on public health, this study was to investigate tanning bed use behaviour, UV related risk perception and beliefs about tanning in the German population. METHODS: In 2007, a representative telephone survey was carried out among 1501 German residents aged 14 years and older. RESULTS: More than one fourth (28%) of the German population have used tanning beds at least once before in their lifetime. High-frequency tanning behaviour, i.e. using tanning beds more than 10 times per year, were recorded for 11%. Men and women aged 18 to 44 years and young women under the age of 18 used tanning beds more frequently (>10 times per year). Tanning bed use was positively related to appearance and lifestyle related beliefs as well as to the perception that tanned skin is healthy. CONCLUSION: This analysis indicates that tanning bed use is common in Germany. The positive relationships of appearance and health related beliefs with tanning bed use are of great concern. The results indicate underlying misconceptions about the positive effect of artificial UV radiation compared to natural UV radiation particular for high-frequency tanners. The data shows the importance as well as the limitations for risk communication in its current effort to inform effectively about the dangers of artificial UV radiation.

Influence of information about specific absorption rate (SAR) upon customers' purchase decisions and safety evaluation of mobile phones.

This study investigated whether the SAR value is a purchase-relevant characteristic of mobile phones for laypersons and what effect the disclosure of a precautionary SAR value has on laypersons' risk perception. The study consisted of two parts: Study part 1 used a conjoint analysis design to explore the relevance of the SAR value and other features of mobile phones for an intended buying decision. Study part 2 used an experimental, repeated measures design to examine the effect of the magnitude of SAR values and the disclosure of a precautionary SAR value on risk perception. In addition, the study included an analysis of prior concerns of the study participants with regard to mobile phone risks. Part 1 indicates that the SAR value has a high relevance for laypersons' purchase intentions. In the experimental purchase setting it ranks even before price and equipment features. The results of study part 2 show that providing information of a precautionary limit value does not influence risk perception. This result suggests that laypersons' underlying subjective "safety model" for mobile phones resembles more a "margin of safety" concept than a threshold concept. The latter observation holds true no matter how concerned the participants are.

The precautionary principle and risk perception: experimental studies in the EMF area.

Possible adverse health effects due to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cellular phones and base stations present a major public health issue across Europe. Because scientists cannot exclude that EMFs may cause health problems, the application of the precautionary principle is debated heavily. By considering precautionary measures, political decision makers hope to cope with public fears about EMFs. We present results from two experimental studies that indicate that precautionary measures may trigger concerns, amplify EMF-related risk perceptions, and lower trust in public health protection. Such impacts, questioning common expectations, should be considered in decisions about precautionary measures.

Studying variability in human brain aging in a population-based German cohort-rationale and design of 1000BRAINS.

The ongoing 1000 brains study (1000BRAINS) is an epidemiological and neuroscientific investigation of structural and functional variability in the human brain during aging. The two recruitment sources are the 10-year follow-up cohort of the German Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) Study, and the HNR MultiGeneration Study cohort, which comprises spouses and offspring of HNR subjects. The HNR is a longitudinal epidemiological investigation of cardiovascular risk factors, with a comprehensive collection of clinical, laboratory, socioeconomic, and environmental data from population-based subjects aged 45-75 years on inclusion. HNR subjects underwent detailed assessments in 2000, 2006, and 2011, and completed annual postal questionnaires on health status. 1000BRAINS accesses these HNR data and applies a separate protocol comprising: neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, executive functions and language; examination of motor skills; ratings of personality, life quality, mood and daily activities; analysis of laboratory and genetic data; and state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 3 Tesla) of the brain. The latter includes (i) 3D-T1- and 3D-T2-weighted scans for structural analyses and myelin mapping; (ii) three diffusion imaging sequences optimized for diffusion tensor imaging, high-angular resolution diffusion imaging for detailed fiber tracking and for diffusion kurtosis imaging; (iii) resting-state and task-based functional MRI; and (iv) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and MR angiography for the detection of vascular lesions and the mapping of white matter lesions. The unique design of 1000BRAINS allows: (i) comprehensive investigation of various influences including genetics, environment and health status on variability in brain structure and function during aging; and (ii) identification of the impact of selected influencing factors on specific cognitive subsystems and their anatomical correlates.

The fragility of omics risk and benefit perceptions.

How do individuals judge the risks and benefits of toxicogenomics, an emerging field of research which is completely unfamiliar to them? The hypothesis is that individuals' perceptions of the risks and benefits of toxicogenomics are fragile and can by influenced by different issues and context framings as a technology. The researchers expected that the effects on risk and benefit judgements would differ between lay individuals and experts in toxicogenomics. A 2×2×2 experiment that encompassed three factors was conducted. The first factor, issue framing incorporated the field of application for the technology (therapy vs. diagnosis setting). The second factor, context framing included organisations and institutions that would profit from the technology (companies vs. regulatory agencies) and the third factor encompasses the quality of individuals' level of knowledge, for example lay vs. expert knowledge. Research results suggest the differential power of framing effects. It seems that the clues provided by context frames - but not by issue frames - are able to influence the ways in which lay people and experts process information. The findings are interpreted in the line of the fuzzy trace theory that predicts reliance on fuzzy gist representations formed by stereotypes on a wide range of judgement problem including risk and benefit perceptions.