Folk epidemiology of autism
Folk epidemiology of autism is derived from folk science, and refers to the popular beliefs about the origin of autism.[1] Using the rare occurrences or trends of autism in order to unify the complex disorder creates these epidemiologies.[1] The most popular folk epidemiologies for autism are influenced by anecdotal evidence.[1] This erroneous epidemiology has dominated over scientific evidence in society due to the miscommunication of scientific research.[2]
Background
Folk edipemiologies of autism enter into the mass media before scientific evidence can support or disclaim the beliefs.[1][3] For example, Andrew Wakefield published an article in The Lancet written in 1998 that contained a folk epidemiology that vaccines caused autism.[3] The anecdotal evidence for the folk epidemiology in this article entered into the mass media before the article could be retracted for the lack of scientific evidence.[1][3]
Parents
Folk epidemiology of autism is typically used by parents with autistic children to comprehend their children's disorder.[1] The physicians' and scientific researchers' lack of communication and scientific evidence on autism leaves parents browsing the alternative media for answers.[1][2]The mass media is biased towards the anti-vaccine side and provides parents with answers to autism using anecdotal evidence.[4] The anti-vaccine movement provides rational answers for the cause of autism that are appealing to parents.[1] The well-known folk epidemiology that links vaccines to autism originated from the observation of children showing signs of the autism around the same time they received most of their immunizations.[2][4]
Researchers
Scientific researchers are unsuccessful in clarifying the adverse effects and benefits of vaccines.[3] The researchers’ neglect to be informative about vaccines allow folk epidemiologies to be more accepted into society.[5] The lack of a public explanation from scientific researchers for why the studies on the origin of autism were unsuccessful, resulted in people questioning scientific evidence rather than anecdotal evidence.[5]
Sources and Influences
Mass Media
The responsibility of the mass media is to entertain its audience.[3] This folk epidemiology provides answers to autism unlike the scientific evidence that has only disclaimed potential sources for autism. The mass media has become biased towards using folk epidemiology of autism in order to create better entertainment.[3] The constant influence from the biased mass media results in the public to be highly aware of false epidemiologies and unaware of the scientific research.[3] The media influence has merely strengthened the acceptance of folk epidemiologies for autism.[3][5]
Public Figures
Jenny McCarthy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. make public appearances to support the anti-vaccine movement.[5] This public figures address the issues of autism in a way that is easy to understand. These simple explanations are a greater influence on people's decisions than the scientific researchers, who are silent on the subject of autism.[2][5]
Antagonists
Paul Offit is one of the few advocates who is publicly against the popular epidemiologies of autism and is a supporter of vaccines.[5] Until the retraction of Andrew Wakefield’s article there has been little opposition towards folk epidemiologies of autism for many reasons, one major reason is due to the advocates of the anti-vaccine movement.[5]
There have been many studies to disclaim folk epidemiologies of autism. Thirteen studies that properly followed the scientific method and contained large numbers of participants failed to find a connection between autism and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.[4] There also were seven well-constructed studies, which attempted to correlate autism to thiomersal in vaccines and were unsuccessful.[4] Most people are unaware of this knowledge because it is rarely broadcasted in the media. (See media influence)
Consequences
The false epidemiology of autism have caused parents to be overly worried about the “risks” of vaccines, and have forgot about the “benefits” of vaccines.[2][5][6] parents decide not to immunize their children for fear of the “risks”.[2] Immunization decisions are made for children by their parents, who do not fully understand the purpose of vaccines.[2] [4][5][6] People are unaware of the health risks associated with the failure to immunize their children.[2] Unvaccinated children are a major concern for the safety of the public. Vaccine- preventable diseases, such as Haemophilus influenzae type B, pertussis, and polio, could re-surface and cause major epidemics.[2][5] In schools, unvaccinated children are a major concern because of the fear of outbreaks in their community.[2] (Also see infectious diseases, vaccines)
It is the responsibility of the researchers to inform parents on the importance of vaccines.[2] When parents are uneducated about vaccines they use anecdotal evidence to find answers, which is directed towards popular epidemiology of autism.[1]
As a result of popular epidemiology of autism, the knowledge of scientific breakthroughs on autism are not made publicly available.[4][5] The research for the root of autism is delayed due to the small amount of money going into the new research.[4][5]
Also see
- Vaccine controversy
- Epidemiology of autism
- Thiomersal controversy
- MMR vaccine controversy
- Autism's False Prophets
- Measles outbreaks in the 2000s
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Moore, A.; Stilgoe, J., Experts and Anecdotes the Role of "Anecdotal Evidence" In Public Scientific Controversies. Sci. Technol. Hum. Values 2009, 34 (5), 654-677.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sharts-Hopko, N. C., ISSUES IN Pediatric Immunization. Mcn-the American Journal of Maternal-Child Nursing 2009, 34 (2), 80-88.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Taylor, B. Vaccines and the Changing Epidemiology of Autism. Child Care Health and Development [Online] 2006, 32(5), pp 511-519.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gerber, J. S.; Offit, P. A., Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009, 48 (4), 456-461.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l [1]
- ^ a b Luthy, K. E.; Beckstrand, R. L.; Callister, L. C., Parental Hesitation in Immunizing Children in Utah. Public Health Nursing 2010, 27 (1), 25-31.
External Links
• [2] article written by Phil Brown’s, the creator of the term Popular Epidemiology (folk epidemiology).