J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2010 Jul;49(4):388-392.

Attitudes about Imported U.S. Beef in Relation to Human Mad Cow Disease in Participants of a Candlelight Rally

• Jang CK
• Park S
• Woo JH
• Kim CY

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was aimed to examine whether participants of a Korean candlelight rally had correct medical information about human mad cow disease and rational attitudes about imported U.S. beef in relation to human mad cow disease.
METHODS
A total of 393 face-to-face interviews were conducted, and subjects completed questions about prevalence of senile dementia and human mad cow disease in U.S. and whether they will eat U.S. beef even if no cases of human mad cow disease occurred in the U.S. or if the chance of being affected with human mad cow disease was lower than dying in a plane crash.
RESULTS
Correct answer rates to the questions about prevalence of senile dementia and human mad cow disease were 28.2% and 36.1%, respectively. A majority of respondents answered that they would not eat U.S. beef even if there were no reported cases of human mad cow disease in the U.S. or if their chance of being affected with human mad cow disease was lower than dying in a plane crash (75.6% and 86.0%, respectively).
CONCLUSION
At least 64.4% of participants had incorrect medical information about human mad cow disease, and their attitudes about imported U.S. beef may be rooted in emotion rather than fact.

Keyword

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome; Candlelight rally; Korea

MeSH Terms

Adenine Nucleotides
Alzheimer Disease
Animals
Cattle
Surveys and Questionnaires
Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform
Humans
Korea
Mycophenolic Acid
Prevalence
Adenine Nucleotides
Mycophenolic Acid