Title: The perception of risk on human health from nuclear power among educated Swedish young adults: a pilot qualitative study

Authors: Mohamad Zakaria; Martin Stafström

Addresses: Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Clinical Research Centre, Medical Faculty, Lund University, Jan Waldenströms Street 35, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden ' Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Clinical Research Centre, Medical Faculty, Lund University, Jan Waldenströms Street 35, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden

Abstract: This paper aims at exploring how young adults in Sweden perceive the risk of nuclear power on human health. Purposive sampling technique was applied to recruit study subjects who were individually interviewed. Manifest and latent content analysis of the interview narratives were applied. All the informants perceive nuclear power as a source of risk but they differed in their assessment of risk from nuclear power. The Swedish nuclear governance authorities need to intensify their efforts in building trust with young adults by providing more credible information and by facilitating as well as initiating open discussions about the risks of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). This may reduce the fear from the NPPs and thus the risk of potentially related health problems.

Keywords: human health; nuclear power plants; NPP; risk perceptions; knowledge; attitudes; trust; social capital; communication management; Chernobyl accident; Fukushima accident; nuclear energy; Sweden; young adults; health risks; nuclear safety; nuclear accidents.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNKM.2014.062829

International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.303 - 321

Received: 18 Dec 2013
Accepted: 01 Feb 2014
Published online: 28 Oct 2014 *

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