Drinking Water Management: Health Risk Perceptions and Choices in First Nations and Non-First Nations Communities in Canada

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Diane Dupont²  Cheryl Waldner³  Lalita Bharadwaj³  Ryan Plummer¹  Blair Carter⁴  Kate Cave⁵ 

[1] Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; E-Mail:;Department of Economics, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada;School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada; E-Mails:;Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; E-Mail:;Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, United Nations University, Hamilton, ON L8P OA1, Canada; E-Mail:

关键词: bottled water expenditures;    health risk beliefs;    First Nations;    generalized estimating equations;    odds-ratios;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph110605889

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The relationship between tap water and health has been a topic of public concern and calls for better management in Canada since well-publicized contamination events in two provinces (Ontario and Saskatchewan) in 2000–2001. This study reports the perspectives on health risks from tap water and corresponding use of, and spending on, bottled water in a number of different communities in Canada. In 2009–2010, four First Nations communities (three from Ontario and one from Saskatchewan) and a geographically diverse sample of non-First Nations Canadians were surveyed about their beliefs concerning health risks from tap water and their spending practices for bottled water as a substitute. Responses to five identical questions were examined, revealing that survey respondents from Ontario First Nations communities were more likely than non-First Nations Canadians to believe bottled water is safer than tap water (OR 1.6); more likely to report someone became ill from tap water (OR 3.6); more likely to express water and health concerns related to tap water consumption (OR 2.4); and more likely to spend more on bottled water (OR 4.9). On the other hand, participants from one Saskatchewan First Nations community were less likely than non-First Nations Canadians to believe that someone had become ill from drinking tap water (OR 3.8), less likely to believe bottled water is safer than tap (OR 2.0), and less likely to have health concerns with tap water (OR 1.5). These differences, however, did not translate into differences in the likelihood of high bottled water expenditures or being a 100% bottled water consumer. The paper discusses how the differences observed may be related to water supply and regulation, trust, perceived control, cultural background, location, and past experience.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.