04193nam 2200745Ia 450 991045985430332120200520144314.01-283-00849-197866130084970-231-51196-510.7312/kaba14148(CKB)2670000000079640(EBL)909610(OCoLC)715160058(SSID)ssj0001141235(PQKBManifestationID)12374444(PQKBTitleCode)TC0001141235(PQKBWorkID)11089929(PQKB)10238294(SSID)ssj0000485085(PQKBManifestationID)11335483(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000485085(PQKBWorkID)10612031(PQKB)10732562(MiAaPQ)EBC909610(DE-B1597)458980(OCoLC)979586124(DE-B1597)9780231511964(Au-PeEL)EBL909610(CaPaEBR)ebr10449814(CaONFJC)MIL300849(EXLCZ)99267000000007964020080221d2008 uy 0engur|n|---|||||txtccrHyping health risks[electronic resource] environmental hazards in daily life and the science of epidemiology /Geoffrey C. KabatNew York Columbia University Pressc20081 online resource (273 p.)"A Caravan book"--T.p. verso.0-231-14149-1 0-231-14148-3 Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-238) and index.Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- ABBREVIATIONS -- 1 INTRODUCTION: Toward a Sociology of Health Hazards in Daily Life -- 2. EPIDEMIOLOGY -- 3. DOES THE ENVIRONMENT CAUSE BREAST CANCER? -- 4. ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS -- 5. THE SCIENCE AND POLITICS OF RESIDENTIAL RADON -- 6. THE CONTROVERSY OVER PASSIVE SMOKING -- 7. CONCLUSION -- APPENDIX A. List of Interviews -- APPENDIX B. How Findings Can Be Reported in a Way That Puts Them in Perspective -- NOTES -- GLOSSARY -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- CREDITS -- INDEXThe media constantly bombard us with news of health hazards lurking in our everyday lives, but many of these hazards turn out to have been greatly overblown. According to author and epidemiologist Geoffrey C. Kabat, this hyping of low-level environmental hazards leads to needless anxiety and confusion on the part of the public concerning which exposures have important effects on health and which are likely to have minimal or no effect. Kabat approaches health scares as "social facts" and shows that a variety of factors can contribute to the inflating of a hazard. These include skewed reporting by the media, but also, surprisingly, the actions of researchers who may emphasize certain findings while ignoring others; regulatory and health agencies eager to show their responsiveness to the health concerns of the public; and politicians and advocates with a stake in a particular outcome. By means of four case studies, Kabat demonstrates how a powerful confluence of interests can lead to overstating or distorting the scientific evidence. He considers the health risks of pollutants such as DDT as a cause of breast cancer, electromagnetic fields from power lines, radon within residences, and secondhand tobacco smoke. Tracing the trajectory of each of these hazards from its initial emergence to the present, Kabat shows how publication of more rigorous studies and critical assessments ultimately help put hazards in perspective.Health risk assessmentSocial aspectsUnited StatesEpidemiologyEnvironmental healthElectronic books.Health risk assessmentSocial aspectsEpidemiology.Environmental health.615.9/02615.902616.98Kabat Geoffrey C1039105MiAaPQMiAaPQMiAaPQBOOK9910459854303321Hyping health risks2461108UNINA