Effective Communication at a High-Containment Facility: How Information Consistency and Sufficiency Affect Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Community Preparedness for Potential Biological Hazards

Introduction: Building on risk communication scholarship, this study examines the effectiveness of communication efforts of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility through a survey of community residents living near the facility. Methods: An online survey ( n = 478) was conducted in summer of 2024 with residents living within 20 miles of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Results: Results indicate that sufficient and consistent communication efforts by the facility, though directly relating to knowledge levels and information seeking behaviors, were also directly associated with the community’s risk and preparedness perceptions, circumventing knowledge and information seeking behaviors. Misinformation frequency led to increased knowledge and information seeking behaviors. While knowledge was not associated with risk or preparedness perceptions, it increased information seeking behaviors, which in turn led to higher risk perceptions. Conclusion: Findings imply the importance of leveraging local partners, like the local university, to increase knowledge about the science conducted at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, while at the same time pointing to the fact that information consistency and sufficiency are more important in increasing community preparedness than knowledge itself.