John Libbey Eurotext




Risk evaluation, an interdisciplinary approach in public health
Environnement, Risques & Santé. Volume 3, Number 1, 45-52, Janvier-Février 2004, Synthèse
Résumé Article gratuit
Author(s) : Yves Coppieters, Florence Parent, Raphaël Lagasse, Danielle Piette
Summary : We develop a tripartite conceptual framework for risk evaluation in public health: the level of risk (epidemiological approach), the perception of risk (psychological and sociological approaches), and the impact of risk (biomedical, economic and political approaches). Quantitative risk assessments provide objective insight into some aspects of managing it. The social sciences take social aspects into account and analyze the determinants of risk behaviors. Sociology and anthropology have shown that the perception and acceptance of risk have their roots in sociological and cultural factors. These approaches are complementary and all are necessary for a thorough understanding of the objective and subjective elements of risk evaluation in public health decision‐making.
Keywords : risk assessment\; interprofessional relations\; perception\; public health.

Risk evaluation, an interdisciplinary approach in public health