Subjective Risk Assessment and Reactions to Health-related Information: Evidence from Bangladesh

Arsenic-contaminated drinking water is a serious public health problem in several countries, including Bangladesh. In this paper we contribute to the literature on the relationship between information provision and health seeking behavior in developing countries by using data pur-posely collected in Araihazar district, Bangladesh. We analyze the relationship between the provision of information about arsenic level of tubewell water, elicited perceptions about health risks and choice of source of drinking water. Our findings indicate widespread awareness about the health risk of arsenic as well as about the cumulative negative effects of a prolonged expo-sure. Respondents ’ perceptions of health risk are strongly increasing in the arsenic level and also help explaining the decision to switch to alternative sources of drinking water when the current source is unsafe. In addition, we describe the results of a randomized controlled trial which allows us to evaluate the impact of different health-risk communication categories on switching behavior and risk perceptions. A random subsample of households was informed of the arsenic content of their water using a standard “binary ” message that only highlighted the benefits of drinking from safe sources. A second subsample was instead exposed to an alternative message that stressed the importance of choosing the source with the lowest arsenic level. In our data, this “continuous ” communication mode did not have sizeable impacts on risk perceptions or on switching behavior. Contrary to our expectations, we actually observe that the experimental communication mode decreases the impact of the arsenic level on the probability of switching to a new source of drinking water