A Non-Parametric Analysis of the Effects of Religious Belief on Health Risk Perception – A Case Study of Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District.

Abstract

Risk research has found significant differences in perceptions among groups of individuals divided by gender, age, religion, etc. Successful research in risk perception improves risk communication, as it helps policy makers and stakeholders direct education efforts appropriately. In this study, we evaluate the effect of religious belief on health risk perception in order to justify reasons for further research. A total of 343 public sector workers from the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa district in the Central Region of Ghana participated in the study. The hypotheses tested focused on the effect of religious belief on health risk perception using non-parametric statistical methods. The results from the study concluded that religious belief has effect on health risk outcomes but overall, risk behaviours based on ten risk issues studied do not seem to be associated with religious belief. It implied that religious belief may not have so much to do with an individual‟s perception of health risk. It also came to light that an individual‟s assessment of risk has little to do with his/her encounter with risk: it may have rather more to do with the knowledge the individual have about the risk.