NR ACYT
AU Cullen,M.; Bellis,M.; Tocque,K.
TI Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Public health officials are confused over whether to eat beef.
QU British Medical Journal 1996 Nov 2; 313(7065): 1146
KZ BMJ. 1996 Jul 20;313(7050):171-2. PMID: 8688797
PT comment; letter
VT
Helen Cohen reports considerable variation between doctors and patients in the extent to which they stopped eating beef after the announcement on 20 March of a possible link between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.(1) She attributes this difference to varying levels of medical knowledge, educational background, and sources of information. We have carried out a similar survey of the 202 directors of public health and consultants in communicable disease control in England. Questionnaires were posted on 18 March, just before the media attention and the disparity of information were greatest.
Of those officials who ate red meat (100 of 120 respondents), 54 and 69 had reduced their consumption of beef and beef products, respectively (table 1). Confusion was evident, however, in the fact that respondents were more willing to eat beef and beef products if they were cooked at home or at a friend's house than when eating out. This resulted from concern over the source of the meat rather than the place of consumption. Nevertheless, beef products were always less likely to be eaten than beef.
We also asked the officials for their opinion on the official line being taken (those who did not eat red meat were included). Eighteen respondents agreed that there was no proved risk of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans and no need to avoid beef or beef products; 45 agreed that, since there was no proof that ransmission could not occur, people of all ages should avoid beef or eef products, or both, while a further 18 believed this to be true or only children and young adults; and 37 respected informed choice that is, they thought that the public should be given the facts and llowed to make up their own minds).
Table 1 - Number of public health officials and their families who had changed their pattern of consumption of beef and beef products because of their concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy and where they would be prepared to eat beef and beef products (n =120)
Beef Beef products
Self Immediate Self Immediate
family family
Change in consumption:
Had reduced consumption in
past six months, or now 17 26 21 27
intended to
Had reduced consumption
over six months ago 37 40 48 48
Had increased consumption 2 2 3 2
Had not changed
consumption and did not 45 35 33 24
intend to
Intention not indicated 19 17 15 19
Would eat beef or beef products:
At home 75 88 34 31
At a friend's house 77 67 36 34
At a quality restaurant 67 60 27 24
From a "take away"
restaurant 30 27 18 16
Cohen considered increased knowledge to be a reason why doctors changed their eating habits less than patients did. Public health professionals should be among the people best informed about transmission of disease and any risks, but in our study their response was confused. Cohen did not state the date of her survey, and perhaps the greater concern among public health officials reflects the closeness in time of our study to the initial mass of confused information in the media. A gradual reversion to normal eating habits, as information is assimilated and risks are assessed more rationally,(2) may be expected both within medical circles and among patients and the general public. This, however, would rely on a clear message being disseminated through both medical and non-medical channels, which evidently was not the case early on in the crisis.
References
1 Cohen H. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. BMJ 1995;313:171-2. (20 July.)
2 Wilson S, McLeod S, Gillies A, Carter Y. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. BMJ 1996;313:171. (20 July.)
MH Animal; Attitude to Health; Cattle; Communication; Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome/*transmission; *Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform; Food Habits; Human; *Meat Products; Public Health
AD MOLLY CULLEN Research registrar, MARK BELLIS Senior lecturer in public health medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, KAREN TOCQUE Information manager, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre North West, Public Health Laboratory, Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool L9 7AL
SP englisch
PO England