Risk Perception, Risk-Taking Attitude, and Hypothetical Behavior of Active Volcano Tourists

ABSTRACT

To help understand what determines an individual's risk-taking attitude and behavior of tourists visiting a volcano, an interview survey of 523 adults was undertaken in Mt. Aso, an active volcano in Japan where guidance is designed to prohibit visitors with cardio-pulmonary disorders from ascending to the crater. The survey included the individual's knowledge of the prohibition regulation, their risk perception of life-threat to volcanic gas and risk-taking attitude toward the prohibition. Their hypothetical risk-taking behavior assuming their being accompanied by a health risk companion was also investigated. A logistic regression model was used to assess the effects of various factors on the specific risk perception, attitude, and behavior. In a different model, how the risk perception and knowledge would affect attitude and behavior was also assessed. Those having knowledge of the guidance significantly employed a high perception of the risk (OR, 0.45: 95% CI, 0.27–0.73). Those with low risk perception significantly opposed to the current regulation (OR, 2.56:95% CI, 1.63–4.03). However, if subjects possessed health problems, they were more likely to visit the crater when they were asked to do so by their accompanying health risk subjects (2.89:1.28–6.52). Improving the specific risk perception might have beneficial effect on risk-taking attitude and behavior.

Keywords:

• volcanoes
• attitude
• hypothetical behavior
• risk perception
• sulfur dioxide.

Notes

^a Risk of “Low” to “High”;

^b Risk of “Individual decision” to “Follow the prohibition”;

^c Risk of “Ascend” to “Not ascend”;

^d Adjusted for sex, age, place of residence, traveling partners, chronic health problem, and knowledge about the prohibition shown in the variable list of the table;

^e Based on Wald Chi-Square test;

^f Based on Wald Chi-Square test for the item;

^g Those with underlying respiratory or cardiovascular disorder or disease.

^a Risk of “Individual decision” to “Follow the prohibition”;

^b Risk of “Ascend” to “Not ascend”;

^c Adjusted for chronic health problem, the knowledge, risk perception, and variables not shown in the table such as sex, age, place of residence, and traveling partners;

^d Based on Wald Chi-Square test;

^e Those with underlying respiratory or cardiovascular disorder or disease.

¹The questionnaire was used in Japanese in this study.