就診民眾對保健食品的食用風險認知與傳播影響
台灣保健食品一年有近 300 億元的市場，容易獲得保健食品讓民眾以為它是安全的，而 忽略了可能會導致的副作用及交互作用。就診民眾由於現在正在使用藥物或即將使用藥 物而處於食用保健食品的最大風險之中。因此本研究的主要目的在於了解就診民眾食用 保健食品的現況，並探討其對於保健食品的風險認知、降低風險的策略，大眾傳播與人 際之間傳播的影響。
研究對象為某醫學中心內科看診病患，以便利取樣進行抽樣，並利用自填問卷方式進行 資料蒐集，有效樣本共 425 人。結果發現：（ 1 ）就診民眾高達 72% 有食用保健食品
，但是卻僅有 17.7% 的人會告知醫師有食用保健食品。（ 2 ）有食用保健食品者中有 2 6.5% 認為食用保健食品可能會對自己產生副作用或交互作用，然而卻有 59% 的研究對 象認為可能會在其他人身上發生這些危險。（ 3 ）女性、年齡 41-50 歲、已婚、專科∕
大學教育程度、有長期病症的就診民眾食用保健食品的比例較高（ p<0.05 ）。（ 4 ） 有食用保健食品者從媒體獲得保健食品的訊息，較未食用者低（ p<0.05 ），且也有較 多曾從親友、醫護人員處獲得保健食品的訊息。（ 5 ）就診民眾最在意的前三名風險依 序是財務風險、心理風險、功能風險，降低風險認知最好的辦法以臨床研究結果、經過 驗證的保證最具效果。（ 6 ）與其他人口學特性、健康狀況、風險認知、接觸的訊息管 道相互調整後，女性、已婚、有長期病症、心理風險較低的就診民眾食用保健食品的比 例較高（ p<0.05 ）。常接觸大眾傳播媒體者，較不會去食用保健食品；常接觸醫護人 員推薦、親友推薦、專業書刊者，較會去食用保健食品。
Communication Influence and the Risk Perception of Patien ts in Dietary Supplements Consumption
The use of dietary supplements is dramatically increasing. People who take dietary supplements emphasize the benefits, but ig nore the interaction with current medicine and adverse effects. Patients who attend to the hospital may be in the much more ri sks cause the possibility to take medicine or have taken right now. Information on risk perception, reducing risk strategies, an d mass media, interpersonal communication exposure associated with their use is lacking.
These issues are addressed in this current study. Subjects are the 425 patients who completed a questionnaire from February t o April in 2005 in a medical center, Taipei city. The questionnaire included enquiries about supplement use, mass media and i nterpersonal communication exposure of supplements, risk perception, reducing risk strategies, and personal data.
We found that (1) 72% of the sample takes dietary supplements but only 17% telling doctors. (2) only 26.5% of patients who t ake dietary supplements believe they are at risk of adverse effects. However, 59% of the sample thinks other people may in th e risks. (3) subjects who are female, 41-50 years-old, married, above college degree, having long-term health condition have t he higher probability in using dietary supplements. (4) less mass media and more interpersonal(relatives, friends, and medical staff) exposure of dietary supplements in the patients who take dietary supplements now. (5) the first three risks that the subje cts concern are financial risk , psychological risks, and performance risk; clinical trial and government testing are the best way to reduce the risk perception of the patients. (6) Adjusted for other variables, gender, marriage, health condition, risk perceptio n and contact channels still have the significant difference in dietary consumption. Patients who are female, married, having lo ng-term health condition, have lower social risks, and expose more interpersonal communication would be in higher probabili ty in supplements consumption.
Our data shows that it is need to be concerned that the neglect to the physical risk in supplements consumption. Patients seldo m discuss the use of supplements with doctors and often acquire information from other people. However, the correctness of t his information is needed to be worried. Therefore, it is recommended that doctors should inquire the patients even if they did n’t mention and the government should provide consultative channels to diminish the possible damage from the supplements.
Keywords: dietary supplement, risk perception, mass media, interpersonal communication
