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Consumption of tap water, perceived health and beliefs in health and illness

Environnement, Risques & Santé. Volume 11, Number 3, 212-20, Mai-Juin 2012, Article original

DOI : 10.1684/ers.2012.0539

Résumé

Summary

Author(s) : Lolita Rubens, Jeanne Le Roy, Liliane Rioux, Université de Paris Ouest Nanterre-La Défense Département de psychologie LAPPS - Laboratoire parisien de psychologie sociale 200, avenue de la République 92001 Nanterre France, EBS (European Business School) Paris Dpt. Management & Stratégie 37-39, boulevard Murat 75016 Paris France, Université de Paris Ouest Nanterre-La Défense Département de psychologie Groupe de recherche « Processus Transitionnels et Ajustement aux contextes Professionnels et Environnementaux »(ProTAPE), EA 4431 200, avenue de la République 92001 Nanterre France.

Summary : Since 1989, tap water consumption has decreased continuously in France. Both objective and subjective variables might explain this trend. We thus considered the potential impact of perceived health, confidence in tap-water quality, and risk-taking on this consumption. This study adopts a psychosocial perspective to (a) explore the links existing between the perception French residents have of tap water and their consumption of it, and (b) analyse the impact of psychosocial variables on attitudes and behavior towards tap water. One hundred seven subjects aged 17 to 66 years completed a survey including socio-demographic questions, scales (beliefs about health and illness, perceived health) and questionnaires created for the study (tap water consumption, confidence in tap water, risk-taking, and knowledge about the water supply). Tap water consumption was divided into two factors, consumption at home (6 questions) and consumption outside the home (4 questions)\; these two factors explained 67% of the total variance. Knowledge about the water supply was a key element in understanding tap water consumption ( β \=.27, p<\;.01). The relation between knowledge and consumption is mediated by the trust the French have in tap water ( β \=.68, p<\;.001). Therefore, to increase public awareness and use of tap water, it is essential to provide reassuring information to make them have confidence in tap water.

Keywords : drinking, health, knowledge, tap water, trust

Pictures

Figure 1 La connaissance comme médiateur de la santé perçue pour prédire la confiance en l’eau de distribution. Knowledge as a mediator of perceived health in predicting trust in tap water.

Figure 2 La confiance comme médiateur de la connaissance pour prédire la consommation de l’eau de distribution chez soi. Trust as a mediator of knowledge in predicting tap water consumption at home.