Table 3.

Perceptions related human-to-human H5N1 infection

	Gender			Age group			Education level			All
	Male	Female		18 – 34	35 – 60		≤Matriculated	≥University
	Col%	Col%	OR	Col%	Col%	OR	Col%	Col%	OR	Col%
Perceived modes of transmission of human-to-human H5N1(%Yes)
Respiratory droplets	85.0	86.2	ns	84.9	86.1	ns	87.2	82.7	ns	85.7
Bodily contact	50.4	46.5	ns	44.6	50.5	ns	47.1	50.3	ns	48.3
Objects contaminated with the virus	61.1	60.6	ns	63.4	59.3	ns	61.7	59.0	ns	60.8
Eating well-cooked poultry	22.2	27.1	ns	27.4	23.3	ns	24.0	26.6	ns	24.9
No. of items with "yes" responses in the above 4 items
0 – 2	60.3	59.9	ns	60.2	59.9	ns	59.6	61.3	ns	60.0
3 – 4	39.7	40.1		39.8	40.1		40.4	38.7		40.0
Perceived impacts of human-to-human H5N1
% Fatality rate worse than that of SARS	43.6	37.2	ns	36.0	42.6	ns	39.8	41.0	ns	40.2
% Efficacy of treatments worse than that of SARS	16.2	10.0	0.58*	12.4	13.2	ns	13.4	12.1	ns	12.9
% Perceived high/very high chance to have a major human-to-human H5N1 outbreak in Hong Kong	30.8	34.9		36.0	31.2	ns	33.7	31.2	ns	33.0
% Worry about oneself/family members contracting the virusa	47.4	59.1	1.60**	53.8	53.6	ns	54.1	53.2	ns	53.7
% Perceiving no effective drugs currently available	50.4	50.6	ns	54.8	47.9	ns	49.2	53.2	ns	50.5
Perceived susceptibility to H5N1 infection(% Likely/very likely)
Oneself or one's family members	27.4	26.4	ns	30.1	24.9	ns	22.2	35.8	1.96**	26.8
Older people	88.9	91.1	ns	93.5	88.0	0.51*	90.0	90.8	ns	90.1
Adults	49.6	46.8	ns	45.7	49.5	ns	44.7	54.9	1.51*	48.1
Children	84.6	86.2	ns	88.2	83.9	ns	85.7	85.5	ns	85.5
Health care workers	76.9	81.0	ns	83.9	76.3	0.62*	76.6	83.8	ns	79.1
Food sellers	82.9	87.4	ns	94.1	80.1	0.25***	80.9	94.2	3.86***	85.3
Food handlers	63.7	67.7	ns	74.2	60.9	0.54**	63.2	71.1	ns	65.8
The general public	35.9	31.6	ns	34.4	33.1	ns	30.4	39.9	1.52*	33.6
No. of items with "likely/very likely" responses in the above 8 items
0 – 6	72.2	77.3	ns	71.5	77.0	ns	79.3	66.5	1.94**	75.0
7 – 8	27.8	22.7		28.5	23.0		20.7	33.5		25.0
Perceived efficacy of prevention measures(% High/very high)
Quarantine of the infected people	96.6	92.9	ns	94.1	95.0	ns	93.6	96.5	ns	94.6
Face mask use in public venues	90.2	90.7	ns	88.2	91.8	ns	91.2	89.6	ns	90.5
Frequent handwashing	93.2	94.1	ns	89.2	96.2	3.06**	94.2	93.1	ns	93.6
Home disinfections	90.2	90.3	ns	93.5	88.3	ns	90.6	90.2	ns	90.3
Mass extermination of poultry	73.9	69.9	ns	72.6	71.3	ns	71.4	72.8	ns	71.8
No. of items with "high/very high" responses in the above 5 items
0 – 3	11.1	13.4	ns	14.0	11.4	ns	11.2	13.9	ns	12.3
4	28.6	32.0		29.6	30.9		31.0	29.5		30.4
5	60.3	54.6		56.5	57.7		57.8	56.6		57.3

^a Would worry that it is likely/very likely for oneself or one's family members to contract H5N1 (if 2–3 new cases were to be reported in Hong Kong.

OR = Univariate odds ratio. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001. ns = not significant.