Radiation cognition, government trust and their potential influencing factors in residents within 30 km of Qinshan nuclear power plant.

Background and objectives: Despite growing nuclear energy demand, public concerns over nuclear accidents persist, making residents' perceptions and attitudes surrounding nuclear power plants particularly crucial. Therefore, this study aims to assess residents' radiation-related knowledge and their trust in the government during nuclear accidents, and to analyze the potential influencing factors thereof. Methods: Participants were recruited via a stratified multi-stage random sampling approach from areas within 30 km of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect participants' basic information, their knowledge of nuclear radiation (NR) and nuclear emergency evacuation and protection (NEEP), and their trust in the government regarding NEEP. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was adopted to explore the correlations between participants' subjective and objective cognition of radiation-related knowledge, as well as between the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of public trust. Multiple linear regression or logistic regression models were applied to identify potential influencing factors. Results: Approximately 20% of participants subjectively perceived good mastery of radiation knowledge, with a mean objective score of around 5 out of 8. Age, gender, education, and distance from the nuclear power plant were significantly associated with objective knowledge. Nearly 80% expressed trust in the government during nuclear emergencies, and trust was positively correlated with behavioral compliance. Specifically, greater trust in the government was associated with a stronger willingness to evacuate as arranged. Education, spatial distance from the nuclear power plant, concerns about discrimination after evacuation, worries about family members who cannot evacuate, and objective cognition of NEEP were found to be associated with public trust. Conclusion: Residents within a 30-km radius of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant exhibited a generally positive level of cognition regarding radiation-related knowledge and trust in the government during NEEP, while significant room for improvement remains. Given the critical role of public perception and trust in the sustainable development of nuclear energy, the potential influencing factors identified in this study may inform future longitudinal or interventional research aimed at enhancing public cognition and trust, thereby supporting the advancement of the nuclear energy industry.