目標︰瞭解臺灣地區民眾於1998年夏天腸病毒流行當時及之後，對勤於洗手、徹底洗手、少去公共場所及注意飲食╱水衛生等四項預防措施的實施情形，及其與風險知覺及預防信念間的關係。方法︰研究資料來自於1998年底的全國性電話訪談(健康信念及態度調查)，經由電腦輔助電話訪問系統共獲得3023有效樣本數(回應率為73%)，本研究樣本為其中2677名曾聽過腸病毒且對相關問題填答較完整者。結果︰對每一項預防措施的實施可分為三種狀況：沒有改變、流行時改變流行後鬆懈、或持續改變。整體而言，民眾的預防措施有兩極化的現象，即高比例的「沒有反應」及「持續 改變」，而居於中的「先改變後鬆懈」者較少。四項措施中以飲食╱水衛生最受重視，洗手頻度及品質次之。將四項措施合併觀之，可得出三類人群︰如常型、因應型及警覺型。進一步分析可發現，個人的風險知覺對預防行為型態之影響遠大於腸病毒的預防信念。結論︰本次腸病毒流行危機固然能在短期內引發民眾高度的風險知覺，採行最簡易的預防措施。然面臨新舊型態傳染病的肆虐，應於平時減少民眾對醫療科技的過度依賴，而強化其對個人基本衛生習慣的重視與施行。

　　　　　Objective: To examine the general public's practices of and factors related to four types of preventive behavior Gfrequent hand-washing, thorough hand-washing, avoiding public contact, and food/water safety in response to enterovirus epidemic during the summer of 1998 in Taiwan, and its relation to risk perceptions and belief of preventability. Methods: Data for the present study were derived from a nationwide telephone survey (Health Attitudes and Health Seeking Survey) at the end of 1998. A total of 3023 representative valid interviews were accomplished (response rate＝73%), of which 2677 respondents who have ever heard of enterovirus infection and also provided valid responses to the questions pertaining to the study were included. Results: To each preventive behavior, the respondents could either practiced as before without any change, changed during the epidemic but slipped back while the epidemic was controlled, and changed continuously. Overall, the profiles of the sample's preventive behavior were s omewhat bipolar, that is, higher proportions of