All-hazards pandemic planning is the foundation of current emergency management planning doctrine, yet there is limited information and limited studies related to its effectiveness in mitigating pandemics. The North Texas emergency management community handles incidents of West Nile Virus, H1N1 influenza, and a recent Ebola incident. Despite efforts to mitigate these threats, reported cases and deaths are still occurring from both influenza and West Nile virus. The purpose of this case study was to assess the risk perceptions of emergency planners in a small emergency operation center in North Texas using the cultural theory of risk perception as the theoretical framework. The raw data for this study originated from qualitative semi structured interviews with five emergency managers. By way of qualitative hand coding and thematic extraction, four primary themes emerged from the data: (a) political/organizational climate, (b) emergency response, (c) training and experience, and (d) communication. Additionally, all themes yielded relevant subthemes. The all-hazards approach to pandemic planning was effective as long as planners swiftly adjusted or adapted their plan for individual emergency events. The emergency management community still struggles with ineffective communication, negative political influences, poor coordination, and training shortfalls. Lack of trust in the levels of government emerged as a potential underlying cause to many of the issues. These findings may promote positive social change by assisting emergency management planners in assessing communications, coordination, training, appropriate use of personnel, and to identify areas where lack of trust between community partners may be affecting the overall response effort.

Vietnam is a country that is characterized by a dense river network, experiencing a rapid economic growth, and still faces challenges with supplying enough water for the residents due to increased pollution levels. With water being perceived as one of the most stressed resources today, there is a need of understanding water usage behaviour. To fill in the gap in knowledge and provide a better understanding of the attitudes and the perceptions of household consumption behaviour could be a key to water savings on local and global levels. This field study was carried out in Hai Phong, the third largest city in Vietnam, as the potential of generalizing the result to other fast-growing cities and urban areas of the country was identified. In order to reach an improved understanding of water usage behaviour, the field study was of multi-design nature and was conducted by combining semi-structured interviews, water-diaries and observations. The results show that water usage behaviour is strongly determined by interpersonal trust issues which in most cases lead to an excess water consumption. The lack of trust did however also generate a cautiousness in water treatment routines, which could turn into a water savings behaviour. Other factors that affect water usage behaviour were seasonal aspects and cultural traditions perceptions. Despite the interpersonal trust issues, the institutional trust proved to be greater than expected while the role of marketing and information-based messages proved to influence behaviour. Based on this, water authorities have the potential of encouraging behaviour changes in upcoming challenges.

Black women mortality rates are perceived to be impacted by communication barriers, trust issues, and the lack of quality preventive health services. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore communication barriers and trust issues perceived by Black women when seeking preventive health services. HMB was used to identify public attitudes around receiving preventive health services and to construct each question based on perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of communication barriers and trust issues. An ecological model of the communication process was used as a framework to identify fundamental relationships between the Black female patients and health care providers. Data were collected using open-ended interview questions from Black women in public health and health care professions in southeast Texas (N=10). Results were coded and evaluated by thematic analysis. NVivo 10 software was used to store and manage data. Study findings showed 4 participants voiced their beliefs that their healthcare provider was somewhat apathetic when it came to addressing their health care needs, and 3 of the participants who visited a doctor's office within the last 12 months reportedly expressed having poor communication and trust issues with their health care provider. Emerged themes included lack of attentiveness from health care providers and lack of a comfortable atmosphere or bedside manner when receiving preventive health care services from their healthcare provider. This research has implications for social change if the health inequalities of Black women are identified and addressed, then Black women may have a reduction in health disparities when receiving preventive health services and an increase healthier outcomes.