Visschers, Vivianne

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Visschers
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Vivianne
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Visschers, Vivianne

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Publication
    Knowledge, social influences, perceived risks and benefits, and cultural values explain the public's decisions related to prudent antibiotic use
    (Wiley, 2022) Visschers, Vivianne; Feck, Vanessa; Herrmann, Anne [in: Risk Analysis]
    People should use antibiotics (AB) prudently to mitigate antibiotic resistance (ABR). Previous studies—and, subsequently, interventions—on ABR have focused mainly on improving public awareness and knowledge. We investigated a comprehensive theory-based explanatory model to understand the public's decision making regarding prudent AB use, based on, among others, the theory of planned behavior. In a cross-sectional online survey, the psychological determinants of people's decisions about prudent AB use were examined in a sample of 1,228 Swiss adults. The questionnaire assessed respondents’ demand for AB, willingness to adopt measures that prevent the need for AB, perceived risks of ABR, perceived benefits of AB, attitudes and social influences regarding AB, knowledge of AB and ABR, and cultural values. Mokken scale analysis revealed three types of knowledge: knowledge of the functioning of AB, of ABR, and of preventive measures. Structural equation modeling indicated that respondents’ demand for AB was mostly predicted by social influences, perceived benefits of AB, and knowledge of AB functioning. Willingness to prevent AB use was mainly related to conservative values, perceived risks of ABR, negative attitudes toward AB, and knowledge of preventive measures. Our study suggests that the provision of information about AB and preventive measures is a first step toward changing people's decisions related to prudent AB use. Future interventions that additionally utilize cultural values to convey important messages and target additional factors, such as social influences, the risks of ABR, and the benefits of cautious AB use, can be more successful in promoting prudent AB use.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
  • Publication
    Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in food: Which behaviour change strategies increase consumers’ risk awareness and preventive food-handling behaviour?
    (Taylor & Francis, 2021) Freivogel, Claudia; Visschers, Vivianne [in: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine]
    Objectives We aimed to identify the potential of behaviour change strategies to effectively increase consumers? risk awareness, behavioural intention, and preventive food-handling behaviour to reduce the transmission risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through food. The applied strategies targeted knowledge and determinants of the health action process approach (HAPA). We tested techniques that are expected to increase knowledge, risk perception, and positive outcome expectancy (Study 1) as well as those that increase planning and coping self-efficacy (Study 2) in two randomised control trials.Methods In Study 1 (N?=?328), a 2x2 between-subject design was employed to investigate the effects of an educational video about the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and a personalised risk message on knowledge, risk perception, outcome expectancy and consequently on intention regarding safe food-handling behaviour. In Study 2 (N=129), we used a 2x2 design to examine to what extent goal setting (implemented vs. not implemented) and time (pre- vs. post-test) affected planning, coping self-efficacy, and preventive food-handling behaviour.Results In Study 1, we found that the video increased knowledge and the perceived susceptibility of risk compared to the control video. We found no increase on the dependent variables after receiving the personalised risk message. In Study 2, goal setting significantly improved safe food-handling behaviour compared to the control condition. Moreover, participants in the goal-setting condition showed more planning of safe food-handling measures and of dealing with emerging barriers than participants in the control condition.Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the delivery of an educational video on the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a useful strategy to increase risk awareness, whereas goal setting presents a promising approach to improve food-handling behaviour. Following the HAPA, an additional effective behaviour change technique is required that decreases negative outcome expectancies and improves coping self-efficacy, thereby further improving intention and behaviour.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
  • Publication
    Potential and challenges of community-based surveillance in animal health: A pilot study among equine owners in Switzerland
    (Frontiers, 2021) Özçelik, Ranya; Remy-Wohlfender, Franziska; Küker, Susanne; Visschers, Vivianne; Hadorn, Daniela; Dürr, Salome [in: Frontiers in Veterinary Science]
    Animal owners' potential to observe and report clinical signs, as the persons with the closest contact to their animals, is an often neglected source of information in surveillance. Allowing community members other than health care professionals, such as animal owners, to report health events can contribute to close current surveillance gaps and enhance early detection. In the present study, we tested a community-based surveillance (CBS) approach in the equine community in Switzerland. We aimed at revealing the attitudes and intentions of equine owners toward reporting clinical signs by making use of an online questionnaire. We further set up and operated an online CBS tool, named Equi-Commun. Finally, we investigated potential reasons for the lack of its use by applying qualitative telephone interviews. The majority of the respondents of the online questionnaire (65.5%, 707/1,078) answered that they could see themselves reporting clinical observations of their equine. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that French-speaking equine owners and those belonging to the positive attitude cluster are more likely to report to a CBS tool. Equi-Commun operated between October 2018 and December 2019 yet received only four reports. With the addition of qualitative interviews, we identified three critical, interlinked issues that may have led to the non-use of Equi-Commun within the Swiss equine community: (1) for successfully implementing CBS, the need for surveillance within the community of interest must be given; (2) the respective population under surveillance, here the equine, needs to show enough clinical cases for owners to be able to maintain the memory of an existing tool and its possible use; and (3) targeted and high effort communication of the system is key for its success. While CBS relying only on lay animal owners, complementary to existing surveillance systems, could potentially provide a good proxy of timely surveillance data, it is questionable whether the added value of generated surveillance knowledge is in balance with efforts necessary to implement a successful system. With this study, we showcased both the potential and challenges of CBS in animal health, as this may be of relevance and guidance for future initiatives.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
  • Publication
    Understanding the Underlying Psychosocial Determinants of Safe Food Handling among Consumers to Mitigate the Transmission Risk of Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria
    (MDPI, 08.04.2020) Freivogel, Claudia; Visschers, Vivianne [in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health]
    In this study, we aimed to explore the psychosocial factors related to consumers’ safe food-handling behaviors to reduce the transmission risk of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through food products. To this end, we investigated the extent to which the variables of the health action process approach (HAPA) and subjective norms can predict safe food handling by consumers. Data were collected from a representative sample of consumers belonging to the German-speaking part of Switzerland by administering a self-reporting questionnaire. The results showed that risk perception, self-efficacy, and positive outcome expectancy (i.e., the motivational phase of HAPA) were significant predictors of the intentions to handle food in a safe manner (see graphical abstract below). Additionally, in the volitional phase of HAPA, intention was found to be a significant predictor of safe food-handling behaviors. Contrary to expectations based on HAPA, action planning did not mediate the intention–behavior relationship. Only a small part of the variance in behavior was explained by coping planning and action control. The findings confirmed that the motivational phase of HAPA may be useful for determining safe food handling.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
  • Publication
    Exposure pathways to antimicrobial resistance at the human-animal interface—A qualitative comparison of Swiss expert and consumer opinions
    (Frontiers, 2020) Lechner, Isabel; Freivogel, Claudia; Stärk, Katharina D. C.; Visschers, Vivianne [in: Frontiers in Public Health]
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global health concern, affecting both the animal and the human population. Transmission pathways of AMR are therefore abundant and complex, and ways to prevent or reduce transmission to consumers must be identified. The overall goal of this study was to define the content of an intervention study aimed at reducing the transmission of AMR from animal sources to humans. To identify the most relevant pathways, Swiss experts and consumers were interviewed about their opinions on the risks of transmission of AMR. Opinions of experts and consumers were then qualitatively compared and the main gaps identified. The results revealed that Swiss consumers had several misconceptions regarding the sources and transmission of AMR, and that they in particular underestimated the importance of poultry meat and pets as a potential source of AMR. Furthermore, high uncertainty was noted in experts regarding the prevalence of AMR in pets and the potential of transmission to their owners. Consequently, awareness of AMR transmission pathways should be increased among consumers to overcome common misconceptions, which will help reduce the risk of transmission. Further research is needed to better understand the pets' potential to harbor and transmit AMR to their owners, and to identify most effective methods to increase risk awareness in consumers as well as intervention strategies promoting consumer behaviors to mitigate AMR transmissions at the human-animal interface.
    01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift